Crossing Lines
by Kirshk
Summary: AU Fic. Olivia is the daughter of a mob boss, who with her families help faked her own death and went off to college. She meets Fitz Grant, who doesnt know she technically is dead, but is also her favorite professor's TA. Their relationship is doomed, but they love hard and will fight for each other.
1. Chapter 1

Olivia Pope couldn't help but think back at her decisions that brought her here. At 22 years old she had already seen and done so much damage, but this was unthinkable. Her Fitz, the man she was terrified of, but had come to need in her life was bleeding before her. Thank god her instincts had taken over. Outside she heard the commotion of her brother and cousin chasing down the shooter, she was kneeling next to the bleeding form of Fitzgerald Grant. Her sister was kneeling next to her holding Fitz down as Olivia plunged the needle and thread right into the flesh of his arm. She'd done this before of course. At home, in her old life, the one that had chased her down despite all her father's promises. The ones that didn't matter now, especially not if Fitz got an infection or lost too much blood to recover properly.

If the choices she made in her old life brought her to this moment, than the choices she'd made in the last few months had brought him to this moment. When she first met him and he perused her she knew it was too soon. What she had built was too fragile. She had only "died" three years ago. Just in time for her to leave for college. Yet here she was, back to where she started. With the pop of a gun she was back to the twelve year old girl that dragged the body of one of her fathers men, she didn't even know which at the time, into her mother's kitchen. But this wasn't that. This couldn't be that. Not with Fitz. This wasn't her mothers kitchen, it couldn't be. The man in her mothers kitchen had died.

Fitz moaned half conscious, as his eyes flickered open and peered at her she saw pain, but also trust. There was no way he was going to ask why we weren't bringing him to the hospital, he didn't need to. Whatever she chose would be right. She was his Livvy, she would take the pain away. Though he was barely conscious when Olivia pierced his skin once again, his body jumped and Claudia, Olivia's sister was there in an instant holding him down and unnecessarily telling her to hurry up.

By time she finished Fitz had completely lost consciousness, thank god. He had been shot in the arm, it was a through and through, but from witnessing numerous gun shots she knew no matter how insignificant they hurt like a bitch. Without saying a word to her sister she moved and put his head in her lap and started stroking his curls and forming her next plan of action.

Pretty soon she heard banging near the door and just as quickly as the sound came her sister pulled out a gun and aimed it firmly, but almost casually at the entrance. She had the posture of a person that had held another at gun point one too many times. "Claudia, Livia?" Michaels voice broke the silence. Her big brother. The one man outside of Fitz that she trusted implicitly, his voice broke her out of her revere as Claudia lowered her weapon. Michael walked in followed by her right hand man and cousin Huck. "The rest of the men are taking care of the shooter, looks like there was only one. I guess they figured you wouldn't be hard to drop."

Michael cut to the chase, jaded by his upbringing. "Facts are to be expressed neatly and expatiated. Sugarcoating is a waste of time," she could hear her fathers voice, even as children when they weren't privy to the business things were not explained softly. "Aunt Verna died today." No time to tell us she is in a better place or it was painless. Just the facts and move on. That's how her father worked, her mother tried to have a softer hand, but she was raised for the life and wasn't ever very successful at evading her nature.

"Can we," _breathe Liv you need to breathe _"Can I take him home now? Get some alcohol on this, get him in a real bed?" Olivia looked to her brother for an answer. His reply wouldn't tell her if she would be moving Fitz or not just whether or not she would be doing it alone. "Yeah Liv as soon as we get the all clear. Who's place is closer his or yours?" Huck answered her before Michael could object to helping the outsider. No one knew how deep Olivia's feelings went for Fitz, except for Huck. He was capable of looking at the whole picture, and what he saw immediately told him that the man laying in his cousins lap was not a stranger that could be dropped off at the hospital and paid off later. Michael and Claudia moved to the door both with their hands ready to pull a gun, but relaxed in posture so as not to alert anyone to their intentions. This time they were not to threaten but to protect.

After a silent wait Michael was alerted that they could leave. Olivia didn't take her eyes off Fitz watching as her cousin and brother threw his dead weight over their shoulders and started for the door, following her lead. When she finally had her back turned her released a silent sob that she had been holding in since Fitz yelled, "gun" and pushed her out of the way.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Michael and Huck had gotten Fitz into Olivia's house he had regained consciousness and Olivia while relieved was concerned he might go into shock, either emotional or physical. It was safe to say from what had happened and what she still had to explain to him both were equally possible. With a great deal of aid they got him into Olivia's bedroom and she quickly tucked in into bed. "Livvy?" He asked not really knowing what was going on and looking for her to explain. "I'm right here Bee. Could you guys give us a minute?" Olivia asked facing the guys as they stared Michael confused, Huck looked a little pleased despite the heaviness of the situation. Huck was first to answer. "Yeah, Liv. I'm going to put some guys on the door, but we're going to clear out. I'll call you in a bit to find out if you guys need anything, but its safe to assume you guys will be staying in this apartment for the long hall so think about what you want." His last piece of advice definitely had dual intentions. If she told Fitz the truth about herself, her life, her family, not only would there be a shift in their relationship, but he could lose his trust for her. On top of that he would gain knowledge that only about ten people knew all of the facts of. He would be brought into her father's world, her world. "Thanks," it was all she could get out at the moment to acknowledge that not only had she heard him, but also understood.

Fitz was somewhere between consciousness and wakefulness and she thought it was as good a time as any to further tend to his wound. Clean it and make sure she hadn't missed anything. "Okay I did it. I actually stitched it. He's okay." She was talking to herself, trying to calm down by reassuring herself she hadn't done more harm than good. "Of course you did, you're the great and formidable Olivia Pope." She hadn't realized he was awake and watching her. He was always watching her, whenever he could, however he could.

As excited as she was to have him awake, her stomach immediately dropped. She knew she would have to explain the last twelve hours to him and everything would change. The great and formidable Olivia Pope would soon become more accurate than he could have ever realized. Would he think everything about her had been a lie? She had been more honest with him than she ever had before. She told him her father was in Kansas running a company that her mother's family had started. That was it, the only lie. At on her most confident of days she could even rationalize that as a half-truth. Her father did run a "company" that her mother's family had started. The company of course was a cover for running drugs, gambling, and prostitution, but it was a real company.

Today was not going to be one of her more confidant days. The man she loved, but had yet to tell, at least while he was awake, had taken a bullet that was meant for her. The only thing that made her madder than her father's enemies tracking her down, was that he sent such a shitty shot. She thought about the nearness of the shooter and how all it took was Fitz's sudden movement to cause him to fail his mission, it made her rage. She would have happily taken the bullet instead of him. This was her fault, she had earned that bullet!

"Fitz? Bee? Are you? Wait take this!" She handed him two large white pills and some bottled water. "I hope this is a bit stronger than Tylenol." He was trying to lighten the situation, her anger intensified and she burst before she could stop herself. She got up from the bed. "Fitz seriously you were shot! We didn't take you to the hospital! You must know that this isn't normal. That's not okay! I literally sewed your arm closed and you're cracking jokes! You need to wrap your head around this quickly. Im toxic. Im a toxin. That's why this," she points between the two of them, "I fought it so hard. I knew I would ruin you that's what I do. I ruin the things I love…" She was rambling, her voice cracking and her lip trembling, but she had to get this out soon, before she got selfish again. He interrupted her reaching out for her, "Livvy," she kept rambling, he had no idea what she was saying but it didn't matter, she had admitted to him that she loved him, and not when she thought he was asleep either. "Olivia," he boomed and she stopped and stared at him. "Here's what you don't understand, I trust you. That it. Its that simple. When you're doing things that infuriate me or when you do things that don't make sense to me, I trust you. That's what it means. So you didn't take me to the hospital I assume you had a good reason aside from wanting me in your bed. Liv I know there are things you don't tell me. You run out of the room anytime your family calls. Remember how we met? I trusted you then, all I had to do was look at your eyes and I knew, this crazy, badass chick, is it, she's everything. So again whatever choices you make for me are right because that's what you do. You make the tough calls and they're usually the right one. Except for right now, I can see you trying to run. Well I'm not letting you go. You can sit here and explain things to me, or you can come over here and we can sleep. Those are your options, that's it."

She just looked at him, her mouth slightly open. "I'll explain everything to you, but know that those things you just said, you'll want to take back. I know you think you love me, but this could change that. It'll break you, it's already broken me Fitz. I'm broken. Irrevocably damaged. Before I tell you everything you should know that I love you and you make me feel less damaged. I know you probably just think I'm saying it because I got you shot and I'm scared, which I am. I love you Fitz, I'm in love with you. I wait for you. I watch you for." "I know Livvy. I love you." He puts his arms out for her to cuddle into his side, but instead she sits in front of him. The masochist inside needs to see the moment his trust leaves his eyes.

"Okay so here goes…"


	3. Chapter 3

"My father is a mob boss. He did technically get it from my mother's family. As I'm sure you can guess the mafia is about as patriarchal is it gets, so when my uncle was killed my father was next in line for the business. He's not Italian and were all fairly certain he's the only black mob boss, but he's ruthless and cunning, everything it takes to run a successful crime organization, so my Grandfather didn't really have any qualms handing over the reigns. I was always trying to think of a way out. My brother, as the only boy didn't have a choice, he was bred and trained for exactly that life, and he's good at it. Claudia, she's, well if Michael was bred for it, she was born for it. It was decided at some point that Michael would be the face and the muscle of the family, but Claudia would be the brain, she would make the ultimate choices and Michael would be her mouthpiece. I had options, I was extra, and not in a bad way it gave me choices and a different relationship with both my parents.

My mother was able to coddle me and spoil me in a different way from my siblings; with them there was always a lesson to be learned. My father I think always regretted that I wasn't born first and male. He always said I had to potential to be both, muscle and brains. My instinct to fight was always tampered by my gut telling me what the rational choice should be. Michael is all instinct, his first response is to throw a punch and Claudia is all rationale using it to avoid violence at every turn. Neither makes for a very good leader, but by time he realized my potential the damage was already done. Michael was ten when I was born and already being trained and Claudia was eight, already the epitome of a rational child. Pretty quickly after my uncle died things got ugly.

My family wanted retribution against the family that killed him. In the middle of my senior year of high school I heard my father in the office with my brother and some of his other men saying they needed a way to get the other families to ally with them, which because of my father's new standing as well as ethnicity would be difficult, if not impossible. My mind immediately went to work, and I found a solution to all of our problems. I would die, in the most public and brutal way possible. It would gain sympathy and anger from the other families we needed, as allies and it would eliminate my need to stay in Kansas where I could be protected. I thought over all the options and presented them to my Grandfather for him to find fault and together we presented the idea to my father. He knew it was a brilliant idea, but also that it would cost him his daughter. Things in the family would never be the same. He told me he would think about it, but as things escalated he knew he had to concede to the idea.

Two days after my graduation I was gunned down walking my dog in the park. The claim was that my father's men found my body unrecognizable except for my grandmother's necklace, the one I always wear, and the dog strung up behind me. There was a closed casket. After the funeral my mother and sister claimed to need time to recuperate away from home. We went to Greece and stayed with family until it was time for school to start. They moved me into my apartment off campus and went home. Its not like Pope is a conspicuous name, so I was able to keep my identity and my family visits when they can. I tried not to get too attached to anyone or anything. I was always afraid my old life would come back to haunt me. Abby was the one who broke through first.

We kept being thrown together in classes and lab. I could tell she was just as afraid of something as I was and by junior year I finally had let someone in. As we had gotten closer I'd grown to despise her boyfriend, Charles, as if that name isn't obnoxious enough, he was constantly berating her and cheating on her. I've met her family and I can honestly say she didn't know any better. A lot of our time together was spent with me trying to keep her away from him and building her up. It was like he knew that she was getting better because he came to threaten me to stay away from her. I ignored his threats and continued to call and search her out. Two days later I went over to her apartment and found her bloody and unconscious. When I finally roused her and got her to the hospital I found out that she had gotten pregnant and he beat her in attempt to force a miscarriage. She refused to press charges, but promised to move in with me and get a restraining order to keep him away, I wasn't exactly raised to trust the police so I took things into my own hands. As soon as she fell asleep I went to find him. I found him leaving Amanda Tanner's apartment, with a satisfied smirk on his face and before the rational part of my brain told me to stop I was taking out his knees with the tire iron. That's when you found me. Do you remember? You pulled me off of him and he tried to take a swing at me so you kicked in his face."

He was quite for a really long time, she couldn't quite meet his eyes. "If it were anyone but you telling me this story I would think its unbelievable, but from the first moment I saw you I knew you were extraordinary. Livvy I don't care. You haven't told me anything that matter more than the fact that I love you. I wait for you. I watch for you." She looked into his eyes trying to see if the gray that she loved so much would betray him. They didn't. They still looked at her the same way. Reverent. "You need to sleep, those pills should have knocked you out by now. We have more to talk about, but for now rest." She kissed his forehead and made an effort to move away, but he grabbed her. "You know I cant sleep alone anymore." She nodded, today he would get whatever he wanted. She took off her jeans and bloody sweater and pulled on one of his t shirts. As soon as she was dressed she crawled over to lie as close as she could. He threw an arm over her and she threw her leg over him.

He fell asleep almost as soon as he stopped fighting the drugs. Usually she was the first one asleep and the last one awake, but today she was content just to listen to him breathe. She was thankful he still allowed her that after everything she revealed to him. They had so many obstacles a head and not just her family but their circumstances as well. But for now they were them.


	4. Chapter 4

Fitz woke up before Olivia and noticed she didn't look restful, but a fitful sleep has to be better than nothing he thought. He looked down at the woman that he loved. When she was awake her presence was all encompassing. Every time she smiled, each one was different, big and toothy when she was really happy, or small so that it was only in her eyes when she found something funny that no one else did. Now in her sleep, she was quiet, she could almost go without notice. But not to him, never to him. He realizes that it's his arm that woke him up and he tries to get out of Olivia's hold in search of more of the pills she had given his this morning. She's usually a heavy sleeper so he isn't careful with her movements, but today his absence wakes her right up and sends her spiraling immediately.

"Fitz? Where are you going? Get back in bed. I'll get whatever you need." She's still blinking to get her eyes to focus when he looks back. He moves back to her and kisses her forehead, though he knows she hates it. "Im not a child Fitz! That's so patronizing," was what she told him the first time he tried it. "Livvy I can walk, its okay. Where are those pain killers you gave me earlier." Reluctantly she told him. "Night table top drawer." He pulled them out and realized they weren't from a bottle but from a plastic baggy. Holding it up he asked her, "should I even worry about what these are and where they're from?" He was joking with her but a look of shame immediately crossed her face. Her face immediately got blotchy, even though her skin tone you could tell when she had or was about to cry, not that it occurred often. "Oh Livvy I'm sorry I'm kidding. Please don't."

He was about to wrap his arms around her to comfort hurt, but she immediately pulled away. "Fitz, this life what happened. Its not a joke and its most definitely not funny. I know this is new for you and I'm going to make it up to you and make sure this never happens again. Ill make sure you can be normal." She said everything in almost one breath. Sentences running together. "Livvy you can make whatever promises you need but there's only one that I want to hear and you haven't given it to me." He knew she would try to run away from the question. He may not have known about her families business, but he knew she hadn't had a normal childhood. There were nights when she would wake up screaming, shaking, crying or all three. Sometimes she would share the nightmares with him. He knew her, despite how she tried to hide. That's how he knew he would need to let her know that running from him was not an option.

"Fitz I cant tell you that I wont leave. I need to h-h-handle this. I cant have you in danger because of me. I love you, but I wont love you until your detriment, especially if you're going to try and be superman jumping in front of bullets for me. I cant live that way Fitz, I never have let another person shield me and I wont start now." It had never occurred to him that on some level she might be mad at him for taking that bullet. "Olivia seriously? You expected me to just let it happen. What I did wasn't planned. It wasn't heroic. It was instinct for me to protect you it always has been, from when I pulled you away from Charles or what I did this morning. You, we do need to handle this. As much as you don't want me in the line of fire, I need you safe too. I know you hold yourself responsible for this. For me protecting you and even for letting me into your life so when you run off to wherever you need to to end this, I'll be right next to you. That's what I love you means. I trust you. We're in this together. It means all of those things, but it also means I cant live without you, you've ruined me Liv but not the way you think. You've ruined me in the best ways. The kind that leaves a mark on your heart that nothing but that person could possibly make better. You make me better. I need you. You're all I've got. Were in this together."

She just stared at him. Trying to justify leaving him, but she couldn't. As damaged as she was he was too. After sharing one of her nightmares he told her about his family. His father was emotionally abusive, philandering, and a drunk. One night his father came home and told his mother that he was going to move in his pregnant mistress and she lost it and shot him. Fitz was seventeen, too old to be shielded from it and too young to really deal with it. He really didn't have any family. Keeping him in her life could be dangerous for both of them, but pushing him away would be cruel. "Fitz you need to understand, this isn't something we deal with, and it goes away. My family's life will be a constant threat for the rest of my life, our lives. I can't have you go rogue to protect me, but I promise I wont either. I just need you to have your eyes open when you make this choice, because that's it. Its forever." She stared him straight in the eyes the whole time she spoke trying to make sure he knew she wasn't exaggerating. "So were in this together?" He asked her. "Yes." His face immediately flushed with relief and he bounded towards her to get a kiss and realized his arm wouldn't really allow him to grab her and hold her the way he wanted. She smiled a little at his attempt. "Okay Bee time to lay back down and take your medicine." She handed him a water bottle as he pulled two more of the white pills out of the baggy. At the same time he was swallowing her phone rang playing the theme from I Spy that she had reserved just for Huck. "What?" She always answered her phone this way. Most people thought it was odd, but Fitz found it amusing since it was never in malice, it just another way she was different without even trying. "We need to talk and figure out our next move. We will be at your place in ten minutes." Huck sounded calm, but it was really no indication of the state of things. "Okay see you soon. Love you." She hung up and looked at Fitz, "Ready for your first strategizing meeting?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Livvy, what's wrong?" Fitz had just walked into the living room and saw Olivia pacing around the couch and waving her hands like she does when she's talking. "Nothing I'm fine. Sit and rest please Fitz." He walked over and enveloped her in his arms as best as he could. "You pace in circles when something is wrong." She gave him a look. "When you're just thinking its back and forth but when something is bothering you circles, like right now. Liv, you're making me dizzy. Please come over here." She joined him on the couch sitting on the opposite side. "I am thinking," he gave her that look that he occasionally had demanding further explanation. "Okay I'm worrying about how Michael is going to react to you and I'm thinking about how to handle it, but that is not going to help. Fitz cut it out you cant give me a hickey ten minutes before my gun toting thug of a brother gets here!" He was nuzzling into her neck and started kissing her right beneath her ear, where he knew usually calmed her right down, but with her family's arrival due any minute she was wound tighter than usual.

Before he could answer he heard Michael coming in and quickly moved to the other side of the couch as Olivia's eyes went wide. "I heard the word thug, I can only assume you're talking about me?" He said as he walked into her apartment. Huck and Claudia followed closely behind him. Olivia nodded and laughed as she went over to hug him. She hugged Huck and her sister then went and sat on the floor in-between Fitz legs in front of the couch. It was second nature for her to be near him, so she didn't think twice when she did in front of her family. "Okay, so who's family found out? Did you get the guy? Was there only one? What's the game plan? Do I have to come home?" Olivia asked looking at her brother, he hadn't relaxed his posture or taken his eyes off Fitz, who seemed a little too comfortable in his baby sister's home. "Don't you think this should be kept in the family?" Michael immediately took a tone that alerted Olivia she had to explain to situation. "Mikey," Huck warned but it was too late. Olivia already had her fight face on. "Michael, this is Fitz he's my, uhm, boyfriend. He took a bullet for me this morning so that makes him a part of this." Fitz looked around awkwardly wondering what to do. He knew Olivia didn't really like the term boyfriend, she claimed it was juvenile, but he sort of liked hearing her say that. "He's your UHM boyfriend Liv, that's not good enough! We didn't even know about him until this morning!" Olivia was getting ready to attack but Huck jumped in before he had the chance, "I knew. Liv told Camille and lord knows she can't keep a secret." Camille was Huck's younger sister. She had just turned eighteen, but her and Olivia were extremely close. Fitz took Huck's calm demeanor as a sign that he might be okay to approach and since he was closest Fitz extended his hand to Huck first and introduced himself, then to Michael. "The only reason you're not being interrogated right now is because we have way bigger problems, but don't think you're getting away with anything," Michael warned him. Fitz just nodded and sat back down behind Olivia.

Claudia watched as the whole scene unfolded, then she sat down next to Olivia with a smirk on her face. Her brother was a hot head but Olivia had him wrapped around her finger from the time she was born. There would be no way he would be anything but polite to Fitz and the four of them knew it even it Fitz didn't. She turned to Olivia, "Liv you've got some serious splaining to do when the guys leave." Olivia laughed and put her head on her sister's shoulder. "I know CeCe I know." While Olivia and Claudia were close they didn't have a typical sister relationship, between the age difference and Claudia being so clinical, it was more like having two moms. She did feel bad from keeping her relationship with Fitz a secret, but she knew he sister wouldn't approve of her dating her TA. Even if it wasn't technically against the rules, it was frowned upon to the extent that they could both suffer. Hopefully seeing Fitz jump in front of a bullet for her would have the same response it had garnered from Huck and Michael.

"Okay let's get to it." Michael sat in one of the oversized chairs on the other side of the room and Huck remained standing at the far end of the room. "We know who sent this guy, it was the Figlio family. They only sent one guy. He was supposed to confirm your survival and nothing else, but I guess when he saw you and us he got twitchy. Luckily for you he wasn't much of a shot. He seemed to be pretty low level considering how quickly he broke. Problem is this, we don't know how they found out about you or when. Its been almost four years why do this now." Claudia picked up where Michael left off, "that's what we're worried about Liv. We need to know if the leak was inside the family, so until then we think you should stay here. The guards will stay and keep an eye out around the building, and we've already rented them an apartment across the hall so they wont look conspicuous coming in and out." Olivia was processing the fact that she would be under guard, but at least she would be able to stay in Providence. She was so close to her degree and she had Abby and Fitz there. "That's better than I was expecting honestly." Olivia leaned back into Fitz relieved, but the look on Huck's face gave her pause. "What am I missing," she asked. "Liv when we say you need to stay here, we mean here, as in this apartment. Fitz too. We can't take the chance of him coming in and out and being followed." Claudia told her as calmly as possible but she knew it would be a fight.

"You can't ask us to do that! We have classes, lives!" Olivia immediately got up and started pacing in circles again. Fitz finally spoke up, "how long would this have to happen?" "A week, maybe two." Michael answered him. "Okay," he got up and went to Olivia and stood in front of her to stop her motion, "Livvy we can do this. Its Wednesday right so we miss Thursday and Friday, then its fall break. We wont miss much. It won't be that bad. Really I couldn't have picked a better time to get shot." She gave him a dirty look and told her family, "I'll give it until the end of fall break, but then I want a real plan. Looking for a leak and beating people until they talk is not a plan Michael." Claudia walked over and stood next to Fitz, who was holding her hand and still stopping her from pacing, "I'll work on it Liv. I promise," she said. "We're going to need groceries and stuff if were stuck here. I want books and puzzles." She knew she sounded like a child, but something about getting locked away had that effect on her. Laughing Huck told her they would get on it as soon as she got a list together.


	6. Chapter 6

"Liv this list is just books and junk food. We're going to need real food." Fitz called to her from the kitchen as he looked in the fridge and freezer. He could count the items he found on one hand. String cheese, tequila, bottled water, and pizza rolls. He opened her cabinets and found popcorn, crystal light, and several bottles of wine. "How have I never noticed you don't eat?!" He immediately started adding to the list, which only contained items she already had anyway. He'd noticed she had written wine in all caps and he laughed to himself. "Because you consistently ignore my faults? And I do eat!" Olivia said pouting as she walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from him. "Okay down to business, what do we want for dinners?" Fitz asked her pen poised. "Didn't I put pizza rolls and popcorn on there?" She asked him completely seriously. Before he got the chance to answer her Claudia breezed in, "alright you guys got the list ready, shockingly the guys have me on shopping duty."

She took the list that Fitz handed to her and had a similar response as Fitz, "Olivia this is not food! You and him both need to eat real food. Why don't you tell me what you feel like cooking, how about some pasta or chicken parm? I'll even help!" Claudia thought she was being purposefully childish, but felt for her younger sister anyways. Fitz caught the guilty look on Olivia's face, "Wait you cook? She cooks?" Fitz looked back and fourth between Claudia and Olivia, waiting for one of them to elaborate. "Liv's a great cook, she learned from the best." Claudia said smiling softly and reaching out to hold her sister's hand. "I don't cook. Not anymore. I haven't in a while CeeCee."

Olivia's eyes immediately teared up and she wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. Fitz looked at Claudia not really understanding what was happening. She jerked her head in Olivia's direction and nodded silently telling him to go to her. Without thinking twice he went to her and kneeled down next to her chair and started stroking her back. She was so slight that even on his knees they were almost eye-to-eye. "Olly you didn't do anything wrong. She loved you so much, you were her little scoongillie." Claudia held tight to her hand. She shook her head refusing to agree to Claudia's statements, deep down she knew it was true, but guilt was overwhelming her sense. Fitz started stroking her hair and she immediately nuzzled into his neck and started sobbing. He knew Claudia could tell him what was wrong with his Livvy, her eyes were identical to her sister's, and he could read them almost as well despite such a short time knowing her. Despite that he knew Olivia needed to tell him herself. He tried to get her to look at him or sit up, but she was completely inconsolable. She was almost completely off the chair and wrapped in his arms. As gently as possible he lifted her into his arms and moved into the living room and on to one of the stuffed chairs. Claudia followed them and sat down next to them. Olivia just kept her arms wrapped around Fitz as she continued to sob. Claudia had tears in her eyes as well, she had never seen her sister so broken, even when Fitz got shot she had exuded calm.

"Livvy. It's okay, you're okay, I love you Livvy." Fitz kept saying these words over and over again hoping a few would get through. He had no idea how they had gone from bickering about her eating habits to what he was witnessing before him. Whenever she was sad, or even frowning, she looked like a child, seeing her like this it was worse. When he realized her sobs were growing quieter and her body had stopped shaking he finally spoke directly to her, "Livvy please tell me what's wrong. I'll fix it." When Olivia finally regained her senses to a degree she tried to extricate herself from his grasp but he wasn't having it. When he finally saw her face, his heart hurt for her, the big brown eyes, that revealed her every emotion to him, were now bloodshot and filled with still unshed tears. The chubby cheeks that made her look so young, the ones he never failed to point out to her, were red and splotchy and had stains from tears streaking down them. "Tissue?" She barely choked it out, but as soon as she made the sound Fitz and Claudia both jumped at the chance to get her whatever she wanted.

"Fitz, I… when I left home. I was stupid and selfish. I didn't think about what I would be giving up or what my family would be giving up for me and I didn't care. I just left. I didn't care that I would miss Cammie's sweet sixteen or Claudia and Michael's birthdays. I didn't even think about it. All I saw was a chance to escape my father's life. got A few months after I left my Grams got really sick, pancreatic caner. We were extremely close. She was my best friend. I told her everything. We were so much alike. I was named after her you know? I mean they added the O to Americanize it, but I'm named after her. I don't remember a time when she wasn't by my side as a team. She wanted me to get away. She knew I wanted college and a life and she respected it even if she couldn't understand it. But I let her down. At first no one told me because they knew I would try and come home and I couldn't, but then they did tell me. I called her every chance I got. I even got Huck to set up skype so that we could see each other. Everyday she got sicker and when I tried to come home she told me to stay. She said "Livvy, you have a life now that you fought for and I wont let you give it up for me." I caved way too easily. She died alone, frail, and in pain a month after she was diagnosed. I would have been with her, I could have held her hand something so that she wasn't alone. I couldn't even go to the funeral because someone might have seen me. That's who I am. I'm the daughter of a mob boss as if that's not bad enough I let the person I called my best friend die alone and than had the nerve to be talked out of going to the funeral. That's me Fitz. I can't cook anymore because she taught me. We cooked together every chance we had, and I loved it. I can't without her it hurts, and the pain just reminds me of how selfish I can be. I'm my father's legacy, not hers."

Fitz looked at her the whole time, but she wouldn't meet his eyes, too ashamed. Claudia now had tears running down her face and she had come and sat in front of the chair they were sitting on. She started rubbing Olivia's back and apologizing. "Liv we didn't know. We thought keeping you away and safe would be better. I should have known you were too tough for that. She loved you. She kept her picture by her bed and was so proud you were doing your own thing. She was never alone, because she always held you close." Olivia looked up at her angrily, "how could you say that when you know what today is?! You think that's a coincidence. I'm being punished." Claudia looked thoughtful then really concerned, "Liv I forgot, with everything going on, it was the last thing on my mind. I should have known this day would be doubly hard for you and I didn't even remember." Fitz sat quietly just holding on to her waiting for his turn to speak, now that he knew what was going on he knew he could take her pain away. "Its been two years today," Olivia said, her voice almost back to normal. "I know sweetie I know now," Claudia felt so guilty she had no idea her sister had this much blame and self-hatred. She was by far the closest to their Grandmother and while it was hard for all of them but it seemed it was unanimously decided that at 87 she had a long life and a short fight and they were all thankful. "Livvy, do you know what else today is?" She thought about it for a while until a flash of understanding passed through her face. "We met a year ago today, so the way I see it your Grams sent me here to protect you, not to punish you. She sent me because she couldn't anymore."


	7. Chapter 7

_Okay guys this chapter is going to be a bit shorter. Ive been having problems with my wifi, but I wanted to get one more chapter up before the weekend. I'll be updating sporadically when I can. _

_Thanks for the reviews! Its still a little trippy that people are actually reading what I write, but I'm trying to adjust._

Claudia sat there shocked as she looked back and fourth between Fitz and Olivia. She was wary of Fitz when she had first arrived. She had wondered why Olivia didn't tell her about him, but now seeing the way he looked at her, determined to ease any pain or worry that came her way, her concerned melted away. Olivia could barely get a word out. She looked at him, they could both see her mind working, making sure the dates lined up. After what Fitz had said both Olivia and Claudia were stunned into silence. Claudia had actually moved away from them and sat down on the couch. Her mind trying to process what Fitz had just told her. She wasn't paying attention to them, but when she finally looked up she saw that Olivia had turned around on Fitz's lap, she was holding his face between her palms and was kissing him softly as he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. Claudia felt she should give them a moment; she quietly removed herself from the room and went into the extra bedroom that Olivia had turned into an office.

"She gave you to me?" Olivia said to him in barely more than a whisper. "Livvy she gave us both an amazing gift. I really believe that she did," he told her kissing her cheeks. "She gave you to me." It wasn't a question this time and when she said it her voice was stronger. They sat together, kissing and holding each other, until Olivia came back to reality and realized Claudia was still at the apartment. "Fitz? Stop for a second," he had found the spot on her neck that never failed to take her breath away and she was rapidly losing interest in finding Claudia. "Yes?" He answered her, his voice was softer than usual, he knew exactly what he was doing. "Bee, my sister is in the next room,"

"Mhm…"

"My very protective sister, who probably has a gun."

He pulled his head away from her neck. "Right. Go get her, you guys should probably talk anyway, but the second she leaves I want you right back here. Or better yet in the bedroom." He winked at her and helped her get up. She gave him a look and said, "deal," the look on her face almost made him get up and pull her into the bedroom.

Claudia was sitting back in Olivia's desk chair looking through her phone, seemingly waiting patiently for Olivia to come get her. "Look CeeCee I know I have a lot to explain and apologize for and the whole having a breakdown than an epiphany was definitely not on schedule for the day. I'm so sorry," Olivia said as she walked in and sat on the old futon. "Liv, this is me, not mom or dad, I'm not going to tell you to suck it up, or be stronger, better. You know I would never do that to you. You've been through hell these past few years, we all have really. I was so busy dealing with my own drama that I wasn't even her for you with leaving home or with Gram's dying, you didn't even feel comfortable telling me about Fitz, who by the way I like. I never want you to think we just dropped you off here and now you're an orphan."

"Oh god that's so not what I think. I asked for this. I wanted it. I still do. The reason I didn't tell you about Fitz is a bit more complicated, I only told Cammie because she's too young to ask questions. He's my TA for Professor Beane's classes. That's why even though I met him a year ago, we didn't start dating until the end summer. I knew you wouldn't approve. And before you start yelling, its not expressly forbidden, but we both could be in a lot of trouble. As soon as the semester is over he's going to stop being my TA so you don't have to worry. When Grams died it felt like this hollowness had taken the place of passion or life, I don't really know how to explain it. I ended up spending a lot of time with Abby and it helped, but than I met Fitz and the hollow spaces were filled immediately. I felt so guilty and wrong, but I get it now, I'm not religious or spiritual you know that, but this it feels like she sent him to me." Olivia was calm as she explained everything, she was finally at peace with most of her emotions, there was still guilt, but as soon as Fitz told her what today was things clicked into place and she felt like herself again. "If I hadn't have seen you two together today I might not believe it, and Id be raging about you dating your TA, but I see you two just being near its other and its different. Its like his every mood is controlled by the look on your face. He loves you Olly, I mean the man took a bullet for you and now he's standing here ready and waiting to take another. And you're the same. I can tell it scares you, but you're all in and I'm actually really proud of you. I know how hard it is for you, for all of us having grown up like this, but you've got something here. I would never yell at you for that." Their father had always said, "Popes don't cry," but both girls were hugging each other with tears in their eyes.

By time they made it back to the kitchen they found Fitz passed out with a book in his lap. Olivia went over and stroked his head to wake him up. "Bee? Claudia is leaving to hit the store, last call for snackage," Olivia told him as she sat down next to him. "You know I think your Grams would want you to cook me a nice home cooked meal especially since I'm all injured." Claudia laughed but Olivia gave him her death glare. "Okay too soon, how about just some basics? Mac and cheese, sausage, oh and some oranges." Claudia looked at him to try and determine if he was kidding or not, "seriously you both need someone to address these eating habits! Ill just get a bunch of stuff for you guys." Shaking her head she planted a kiss on her sisters cheek and headed out mumbling about oversized children.


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as Claudia left Olivia got comfortable on the couch with her head in Fitz's lap. As she looked up at him she realized how tired and pale he really looked. His sleep kept being interrupted by one thing or another. She knew her sister would be gone for a while, so she got up and grabbed his hand, "come on, lets go to bed," he immediately jumped up and followed her. She helped his get his shirt off and over his injured arms, once free from it he allowed his hands to rest firmly on either side of her hips and pulled her close to him. Caught up in the moment she left herself be pulled into his as he started kissing her, she came to her sense as their tongues dueled. Placing both palms on his chest she looked up at him and said, "Sleep." He would normally protest and use the power he some how had over her, she would usually melt to his touch and lost her head, as often he did himself. When he pulled back the covers and pulled her on top of him, letting her lay her head over his heart beat, she knew how truly exhausted he must have been.

They laid there together, her on top of him listening to his heart beat as he stroked her hair. At some point they must have both fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew it was Claudia stroking her hair trying to rouse her from sleep. Olivia put her fingers to her lips signaling to be quiet as not to wake a sound asleep Fitz. His arms were wrapped firmly around her, one hand landing on her lower back, the other on her ass. Claudia just smirked at her and left the room. Fitz immediately noticed her absence and opened his eyes, but just barely.

"Sleep Fitz, I'll come back I'm just going to talk to Claudia for a bit." She kissed him and pulled the covers up for him before walking out and closing the door behind her.

When Olivia found Claudia in the kitchen she was loading up the fridge with fruits vegetables and fresh meat, but Olivia also noticed popcorn, mac and cheese and oranges. "You don't have to do that," Olivia told her sister. "Oh so you put away groceries now Olly?" Claudia looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Okay no, but I could get Fitz to do it," Olivia had a looked that crossed some where between pride and embarrassment, probably about the situation her sister had found them in.

"I bet you could, that's one good looking man you've got there, what is he six two? And those eyes damn Liv!"

"Claudia! Calm down, he's not a piece of meat! And hes spoken for." Olivia smirked at her sister as she went to help put away a bunch of dry goods.

"Oh and hes six four by the way," she said as she sashayed away from the fridge and into the closet.

"You got a good one that's all I'm saying, that body I mean not that I got a good look but damn he must just live at the gym, too bad he's too young for me or you might have to fight me for him." Olivia knew her sister was joking, there was no way Claudia would ever to that to her.

"You guys are actually the same age, he spent four years in the Navy before he came to Brown and he's a PhD candidate, not an undergrad."

"Impressive."

"Claudia Marie! You are almost as bad as Abby! I swear between the two of you I'll have to lock him up."

"I wouldn't complain, if you're talking about me that is." The way he walked into the room indicated that he knew very well they were talking about him. He had thrown on the t-shirt that Olivia was wearing earlier and looked a bit more rested then he had, but not entirely one hundred percent. He went and placed a kiss on Olivia's shoulder and immediately starting helping them with the bags.

"We need to get this handled and quickly. I don't want to be stuck here indefinitely. Here's what I propose we get Huck and Michael over here and strategize. Figure out which of the other families had the motive or power to pull something like this against Dad, then we can conference in Mom, see if any of her people know anything we could use. I don't think leaving at this point would help, it would just look suspicious." Claudia and Fitz both stared at her while they sat at the kitchen table. "Now! Guys now lets finish this." As soon as she said that Claudia pulled out her phone and headed into the office.

"Your Mom has people too?" Fitz asked her surprised.

"We all have people, besides her youngest daughter got shot at and her first instinct wasn't to get on a plane, she hasn't even called. She has got people, only a few I trust, but I'll use them if we need to, I won't have this derailing my plans not after all this time." He nodded, but he still looked wary.

"What?" She asked softly.

"You wouldn't actually leave, just run off would you?" He looked really concerned to wake up and find himself alone again.

"I have a feeling if I left now I wouldn't be going alone. I would have one giant suitcase to smuggle you with me." He smiled relieved and found himself kissing her fiercely, once again losing himself in her. They broke apart when they heard Claudia come back into the room.

"Okay here we go. Oh and Fitz?"

"Yeah?"

"If you wanna keep those hands, keep them to yourself in front of the boys, taking a bullet only goes so far in their eyes."

"Got it." He immediately stood up and moved to a chair further away as Olivia pouted.

They chatted about Olivia's classes, Fitz's dissertation, Dr. Beene, and Abby's new boyfriend, David, (Olivia liked him, Fitz didn't) as they waited. Fitz was in the middle of claiming her wasn't pleased with the way David looked at Olivia when Huck and Michael walked through the front door. Michael looked pissed and Huck just looked exhausted. Before either said a word Huck started pulling out computers from his bag and set them up front of him. Michael pulled out the chair next to Olivia scooted it closer and threw his arm around her shoulder, the soft moment was ruined when he pulled a strand of her hair. She yelped and kicked him under the table. "I missed you Olly."

Fitz watched as the strong willed stubborn woman he loved melted into her big brother's touch. He finally saw her the way Claudia and Michael must see her, as the tiny vulnerable little sister, and now more than before he vowed to himself that he would do anything to protect her. For a while he sat back and observed as Huck pulled up various mug shots on his computer and updated Olivia on the state of the criminal element back home. He tried to absorbed as much as possible in hopes that he could prove useful.

"Figliotti is out?" Olivia finally spoke shock in her voice.

"Yeah, as soon as you left the other families pulled out any support and threw it behind your father. We're nearly certain that he doesn't have enough juice to find you, and even if he did, he couldn't do anything about it with the way things are for him. Word is he isn't even in the United States anymore," Huck explained everything patiently, but without the concern that Michael and Claudia spoke with. Finally Fitz spoke up,

"Speaking of the finding Liv, how exactly did they find her, what even motivated them to look? And how did you guys know to come when you did?" Fitz looked mildly concerned when Michael immediately got madder and scooted closer to his youngest sister. Olivia could tell something was off, but knew better than to try and get anything out of Michael. He was in protection mode, hoping that she would be too caught up in revolving things to worry about the details of their trip.

"Just tell me Huck, I know that look. It was Mom wasn't it? She found out and sent you guys, too caught up to deal with me herself?" Olivia looked at her two older siblings and her older cousin, all three had raised her more than her own parents had, but because of that they were also fiercely protective.

"Uhm Liv it's a bit more complicated than that…" Michael looked conflicted about even telling her, but it was Olivia she would know he was lying and find out the truth her own way, possibly endangering herself in the process.

"That bad huh?" She looked around the table, but none of them would meet her eye expect Fitz who tried to smile reassuringly but looked helpless instead. Claudia started speaking,

"You know that everyone here loves you over a cliff right?" Olivia didn't reply she just looked around nervously, her eyes finally landing on Huck's he looked feral, whatever they were going to tell her is bad. "You know when Grandma died, Mom thought that because it was her family she would receive the bulk share of the legit company, but Grams in her infinite wisdom left it to the five of us. We all know you don't want anything to do with the business legit or otherwise, so we bought out your shares and put the money into your trust with the rest of what Grams left you, thing is Mom didn't know that. She believed that if Dad were to appear to lose power Michael would take over and Huck and I would follow him and leave her to deal with the company. I have no idea why she wants the company at this point. She's never shown any interest before. Well she found out through her ever elusive sources that there was word your death wasn't legit, and through those sources she confirmed it, hoping that the rumors would be enough to cause a change in leadership. Obviously things got out of control, and of course Mom didn't think things through she just acted. Huck has been tracking her emails and calls because we suspected she was working outside the family, that's how we knew you were in danger. We were coming to make you leave, but then we saw you and Fitz walking and next thing we know we heard shots. I'm so sorry Olly. The only thing I can tell you is that it wasn't about you, she did this to hurt Dad." Olivia didn't respond at all. Fitz moved over to her fearing that she had gone catatonic. She saw the rage in everyone's eyes and it was a small comfort. Her and her mother had never had a loving relationship, in fact she hadn't even seen her since she left home, they spoke once a month if that. The idea that her mother would jeopardize her safety for her personal gain didn't come as a shock.

"I'm… I don't know what I am. I'm not surprised, I'm not even hurt really. I'm angry as hell that she was so careless and that innocent people got hurt, but that's what Maya does, act first think never." Olivia shook her head and everyone looked a little bit relieved. Fitz was still watching her like a hawk, but her family was familiar with the ways in which Maya and Eli Pope had disappointed their children, especially their youngest.

"Okay so I have her emails going back and forth with a guy named Sal, he seems to work for everyone and no one, so we need to focus on him and nail down who he's working for now." Huck looked around at everyone trying to get things back on track, he may not be able to protect Olivia from her own mother, but he vowed not to let this disrupt her life too much. Olivia and Claudia both went to work, but Michael looked at Fitz. "You think we could talk in the other room?" Michael said it without any anger, but Olivia was still nervous. "Do you really think now is a good time?" Olivia asked hoping to talk him out of it. "I don't mind Liv its okay I would want to talk to me to," He whispered in her ear. "Fine you can use the office," Olivia watched their backs as they disappeared into the hall.


	9. Chapter 9

Olivia was too caught up in listening for Michael and Fitz voice's to be of much use researching Sal. It didn't seem like Claudia and Huck were making much progress either. Huck's taps on his computer were getting louder and Claudia kept sighing. It seemed this guy was a better ghost than she was. No one could even get a picture of him. It seemed like they just found one dead end after another in the short time that they had been looking. Claudia looked up and noticed that Olivia spent more time eyeing the hallway than the papers in front of her.

"They've been in there a while," Olivia said still looking into the hallway.

"Go ahead!" Claudia was frustrated with their lack of progress and Olivia's constant frowns and desperate looks at the hallway were not helping her mood. Before she could even finish Olivia was halfway to the office. She instantly relaxed when she heard Fitz booming laugh, the door was cracked so she stuck her head in.

"You guys uhh… thirsty?" She asked suddenly realizing she didn't really have an excise to come check on them. They had only been gone fifteen minutes max, but she didn't realize that until she saw Fitz relaxed posture and the grin on her brother's face.

"Worst excuse ever Liv. I like him. He can stay… for now," Michael tried to appear warning but when it came to Olivia he wasn't the future mob boss, he was the big brother; she had him wrapped around her finger. "But he sleeps in here." Olivia tried to suppress a grin as she saw the look of disappointment on Fitz face.

"You may want to get back in there I think Claudia is ready to light her hair on fire, just for the sake of a distraction. We will be there in a minute, I just want to check Fitz's arm," Olivia watched as Michael headed back to the kitchen. As soon as he left she shut the door behind him and attacked Fitz mouth with a kiss that sent them both on fire. After a few minutes they pulled apart, both breathless. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining," he grinned at her with the goofiest look on his face, the one that made her melt and want to kiss him again. "There's more where that came from." She winked at him and pressed her body against his. He let out a small moan and she knew she couldn't push him much further with her family in the other room.

"Just thank you. For taking all of this in stride. My family invading. My mother's selfishness. Your arm. Thank you for staying and not hightailing it out of here like any sane person would do, because I don't think I can do this without. I don't really know how I did before, so thank you."

"You never have to thank me for loving you Livvy, it's not a conscious choice, its like breathing. Inhale, exhale, Livvy, that simple. Besides I like your family. You're sister is like a mix between you and Abby its pretty funny and your brother is a good guy, he didn't threaten me with his gun or anything, which I think was showing restraint. I think he likes me. Huck I wouldn't want to cross, but they all love you so how could I not like them? Your Mom, I'm so sorry. I know what its like to have a selfish parent and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. You deserve so much more. I'm so angry at her. I hate her Liv. I don't even know her and I hate her more than anyone I've ever met. I don't know how someone could hurt you." He was looking at her so fiercely and she knew exactly how he felt, she felt the same way when he told her his Mother shot his Father in front of him, stealing away both his parents.

"I know you're angry Fitz, but I'm not. She's always been this way. She's a jealous woman especially of her children. I wish I had a mother that braided my hair or taught me how to bake, but I had Grams and Claudia. So you should know that I'm okay." He knew she was upset and thrown by finding out that her mother had betrayed her, but he knew for now she needed to focus on the task at hand. He would let her be for now but when the time came he would help her through that too. He nodded and she kissed him once last time, letting her hands linger on his chest before he took her hand and led her to the rest of the family, her real family. The one that loved and protected her the way she needed.

"Any progress?" She asked when they made their way back out.

"Oh yeah Liv we solved the whole problem. Mom and Sal are both in Guantanamo and Dad is seeing a therapist. Oh world hunger solved. Racism too." Claudia was stressed and exhausted, when she got that way she got grumpy. Fitz looked nervous, but Olivia just walked up to her sister gave her a slap on the back of the head then a kiss.

"Be nice Claudia," Michael told her.

"Well it was a stupid question," Olivia conceded. With that both Claudia and Olivia were a united front giving Michael a dirty look and smug expressions. Huck smirked behind his computer, not foreign to seeing the girls gang up on Michael. They had this little system down pat from the time Olivia could talk.

"See Fitz this is what you're getting yourself into. These two are… I don't even know, but they look like gladiators preparing for battle, when you see that run or give in because you're not going to win," Michael was shaking his head as he explained the sisters bond.

"Hey don't tell him that!" Olivia yelled defensively.

"Oh yeah cause I've never seen that face before Liv. Remember when we argued about Othello, yeah that was the first time. I've learned to be scared of that face, and now there's two of them," Fitz was laughing with all of them now and for a brief moment they were able to forget everything that was happening. It was like her family just came to visit, not to save their lives. The moment was over way too soon when Huck announced he had found something. At the same time there was a banging at the door.

"Olivia Carolynn Pope make yourself decent and come out here this minute! You better be on deaths door for not answering my calls!"

"That would be Abby," Olivia laughed at her antics, but soon realized they were about to unintentionally bring another person she loved into the chaos surrounding her family.

"I will get David over here to break down this door!"

"She's not going to go away Liv, go a head we will figure it out after she stops bellowing," Fitz immediately saw the concern in Olivia's eyes, but he had no doubt that Abby would follow through with her threats.


	10. Chapter 10

"Olivia Carolynn Pope make yourself decent and come out here this minute! You better be on deaths door for not answering my calls!"

"That would be Abby," Olivia laughed at her antics, but soon realized they were about to unintentionally bring another person she loved into the chaos surrounding her family.

"I will get David over here to break down this door!"

"She's not going to go away Liv, go a head we will figure it out after she stops bellowing," Fitz immediately saw the concern in Olivia's eyes, but he had no doubt that Abby would follow through with her threats. Reluctantly she went to open the door and let her in as Fitz and Claudia began hiding what they were doing, Michael went to the kitchen, Huck remained still staring at the computer. She would have to worry about Huck later, because as soon as the door was cracked Abby came barreling in.

"Thank god you opened the door, lord knows I'd need like three Davids to break in! Where have you been!?" She breezed in and started talking, as usual, before she even realized I had a house full of people.

"My… uhm family came to surprise me for fall break," Olivia tried to put on a face that would fool Abby, but when she saw her eye brows shoot straight into her hairline she knew she had failed miserably. She could keep a poker face with nearly everyone except for Abby. Sensing that she wasn't going to get more information than that for now,

"Cool, I guess, so much for your naked week huh Liv?"

"Filter Abby!" both Fitz and Olivia yelled at her at the same time. Thankfully Michael was still in the kitchen and Huck was still in another world. Claudia was thrilled with the turn of events, she loved watching anyone ruffle her sister. After some brief introductions Abby noticed Fitz's arm.

"Oh man Grant what happened to your arm? Liv finally have enough of you?" Abby was motioning towards Fitz's arm, which was wrapped in gauze, as extremely noticeable under his short sleeve t-shirt. Fitz looked down at his arm and over at Olivia giving her the option of lying or telling the truth.

"He hurt it at the gym, no big deal," Olivia barely believed herself when she spoke she doubted that Abby did.

"Ooookay, uhm can we maybe talk outside?" Abby asked.

"NO!" Fitz and Claudia both jumped up to say. Olivia looked defeated.

"Let's just go into the other room." Abby followed Olivia to her office. It was rapidly becoming for of a room for confrontation and hard discussions than studying.

"What's up Abs?" Olivia asked her trying to put on a brave face.

"So we're just going to skip over the fact that despite me knowing you for almost four years I've never met your family and you've never gone to see them, but now they're all here and youre acting like nothing is up?"

"It's complicated."

"Yeah it's family of course it's complicated. If you want to talk I'm here, if not David got tickets to the Arctic Monkeys tonight."

"Shit! Dammit! Seriously? Worst timing ever! I've been trying to get those tickets for weeks!"

"I'm going to assume you can't go now… Liv talk to me? Fitz doesn't go to the gym we both know that man hates it, you look like you haven't slept in days, and your family is here, we both know there's something bigger here than fall break. I owe you everything Liv. You can trust me." For a split second Olivia thought about telling Abby everything, bringing her in, but it would be so selfish. Once she knew it would put her in jeopardy. On the other hand if she left and someone was still watching them they may hurt her. Olivia was trying to process everything and Abby was just staring her down waiting for her to cave.

"Okay here's the abridged version which really is all I can give you. My mother has gone off the reservation and made some extremely poor errors in judgment and Huck, Michael, and Claudia are here to help make sure it doesn't get any worse. I know you want to help, but its being handled. Go to the concert with David. Bring me home a t-shirt. Go get some normal, for me? But be careful."

"You know I can handle myself… At least now with mister Saturday night special."

"Oh god Abby you didn't?"

"David may seem all nerdy and harmless now, but I'm not taking any chances. You might not always be there. Besides a tire iron doesn't fit into my purse." It had been over a year since Abby's attack, but sometimes Olivia still saw the battered woman come out, but even if it made her nervous she was glad Abby was taking strides to take back her life. Olivia laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"Okay. I'm going to get out of here and let you deal with the crazy, but I'm a phone call away."

"Thanks Abby. It means a lot." The filed out of the office and Abby headed back to the table to say goodbye to everyone. Michael was back at the table, a plate full of ham and cheese between him and Fitz while they continued to look through the information they had so far.

"Maybe I should walk you out," Fitz was worried about her leaving Olivia's apartment. He wanted to make sure no one followed her out.

"No thanks, you're just a little too pretty for me Grant," Abby told him before patting her purse and winking at Olivia. Ever since Abby and Fitz met they constantly picked at one another, but they adored one another and Olivia was grateful that there was no tension between two of the most important people in her life.

As soon as Abby shut the door behind her Huck finally spoke up, "I don't think we need to worry about them going after Abby or anyone else here anymore. They've found a new target back home." Olivia's mind immediately went to Cammie and her stomach dropped.

"Who?" Michael asked. He already had an idea but he needed it confirmed. He knew if Cammie was in danger Huck would have spoken up sooner.

"Maya." With that one word Olivia felt her stomach drop, her body immediately tensed and Fitz moved closer to her recognizing that she was distressed.

"Mom? What do you mean new target? Is she… Did they…" she didn't even know how to ask the question.

"No. For now she's fine but they've got a plan and I don't think she has any idea though," Huck answered her finally looking up from the computer and looking all his cousins in the eye. He knew how Claudia and Michael felt, but Olivia's feelings would be the ones that would determine their actions.

"Okay, so we get in the car. We drive there so we can protect her," Olivia was shocked she even had to suggest it, and she got angry when she realized no one was up or moving.

"Guys seriously, she's horrible, but she's our mother! First we protect her. That's what we do, then we talk to her about the choices she's made of late." The last part came out more like a growl.

"Olivia we know you love her and that she's are mother, but she isn't trustworthy. She's selfish and letting things take their course might be the best way to keep you safe. We can call Dad and tell him to keep an eye out," Michael was pleading with her. He was so angry at his mother he thought if he saw her he might kill her himself, allowing her to deal with her own repercussions would be the easiest and safest for Olivia.

"He wont protect her! Michael you know that. We need to go, now if we want to make it in time," Olivia was pleading with him now.

"Olly, think about this logically, not with your heart. Are you sure this is what you want?" Without a second of hesitation she said, "Yes. Lets move please." They all nodded in assent and started gathering their belongings.

"If I asked you to stay here would you?" The glare Olivia gave Michael was all he needed for an answer. "I'll go get our stuff from next door and gas up the car. I assume that means Fitz you'll be joining us as well?"

"Yes."

"No!" both Olivia and Fitz answered at the same time. She glared at him waiting for him to change his response when he didn't she pulled him into the bedroom. She started throwing her clothes and toothbrush into a backpack.  
"You're not coming Fitz. She's… I don't even know, but you need to stay here."

"I'm only going to say this once Livvy so listen up. We're in this together so I'm going." She sat there slack jawed he had never taken that tone with her.

"You wouldn't"

"I would, I will, I'm going to." She let out something between a scream and a moan.

"Dammit Livvy just let me help you!" She wanted him with her, she really couldn't imagine facing everything that would come in the next few days without him, but she didn't want to be selfish.

"Fine." She threw a spare duffle bag she had at him and he gathered the clothes that he had left there. He immediately starting packing, not giving her time to change her mind. By time they both finished packing Michael was back with a few more bags and the keys to his rental.

"Okay let's try and get on the road before rush hour gets really bad. We will have to get dinner on the road," Claudia said while was busy helping Huck get all his tech gear put away.

"Uhm not to sound foolish, but since time seems to be a factor why aren't we flying?" He knew money wasn't an issue, and they were close to several major airports.

"Dead girls can't fly Fitz. Even dead girls with solid fakes, its too dangerous," Olivia told him with her head down. Just one more awkward situation she was putting everyone in for her choices.

"I may have a solution for that," Fitz said nervously.

"And…?" Michael was growing impatient, he didn't want to go as it is let alone play twenty questions with his sister's boyfriend.

"I have a plane. That I can fly. So no one has to know Liv is on it, no security so you can take your guns and gear, and we can leave as soon as we get to the tar mat."

"Olivia how exactly did you forget to mention that?" Claudia said irritated.

"I guess I didn't really think about it," Olivia said dodging the question. She knew he could fly and that he had a small passenger plane at the private landing strip about an hour away from campus, but she didn't want to put him in that position.

"Fitz seriously we can drive…" he cut her off before she could even finish.

"Olivia, I'm taking you home." Her face was covered in mixed emotions. Part of her loved that she was so important to him, but the other darker part was concerned about what they would find when she got home. She still didn't feel good about bringing Fitz into it, but he and Michael were already taking the bags outside and Fitz was telling him about his pilot training in the Navy. It was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. They really were in this together now.

Huck and Claudia followed them out leaving Olivia to take one last deep breath and lock up her apartment, knowing this was probably the last peaceful moment, even if it was just a second, she would have for a while.


	11. Chapter 11

By time everyone was loaded into the car Olivia realized how exhausted she was. She and Fitz had been awake late, and then went out for breakfast early, or at least that was the goal when he had been shot. Michael was driving, with Fitz in the passenger seat giving him directions to the airstrip. She was seated directly being him with Claudia next to her and Huck in the last row, still working on his computer. Every few minutes Fitz would turn around and watch her as she yawned or struggled to get comfortable. She could see that he was worried about her, as she sat quietly; it was extremely out of character. He and Olivia were always talking, listening to music, or bickering about some current event. He noticed her eyelids getting heavy and he put his hand on her knee and gave her a few squeezes. She put her hand over his and relaxed back into her seat allowing her eyes to close.

She fell asleep soon after holding on to Fitz's hand. Huck sat in the back silently, but Michael and Claudia began to warn Fitz about their mother. Michael would normally harass and try to scare any men that even dared breath around his sister, but she was different with Fitz. It drove him crazy to have to trust this relative stranger with his sister, but he saw what they had and he respected it.

"If it were up to me we would let her handle her own consequences, but Liv is a fixer. She thinks that if were good enough or love her enough our Mother will some how become a better person. I think she gave up on hoping for a Mom, a while ago, but she wants to try anyway. She's loyal to a fault. It's like she wants to take all of Maya's bad qualities and make them her own. Liv tries to be selfless and loyal and brave just to prove she isn't like our mother," Claudia knew what Olivia was feeling, because at one time or another she had felt it too, but it all but evaporated when she found out her mother risked her youngest child's life. She wanted to help Fitz understand as well.

"I know things were strained between her and her Mom, I mean she's always talking about you guys or Cammie and your Grandma, but never your parents." Fitz voice was reverent; he didn't want to tell Claudia and Michael that she often was depressed after getting off the phone with one of her parents, especially her Mom. He wanted to be careful and not add fat to the fire. Everyone in the car, except Olivia, was hesitant to go help Maya he didn't want to give them a reason to fight Olivia.

"I'm sure its hard for you to understand how Maya could be so selfish with her own child, I mean I grew up with it and I was still disturbed…" Michael wanted him to be patient with her, but he figured a rich kid with a plan wasn't likely to understand it, he figured Fitz's biggest problem was being raised by nannies.

"I understand it unfortunately, some people just shouldn't have children." Fitz was thinking about her own family, he tried to avoid the memories. It took years of therapy to be able to accept what happened, if that's what he could even call it, he didn't like to dwell on it anyway. Michael was going to press Fitz for more information about his past, but he like the other Popes could read people and Fitz's face told him not to force it, he knew Olivia knew and that's all that mattered.

Fitz was telling Michael which turns to make as they were getting closer and Claudia was just about to wake Olivia, but Michael and Fitz both said nearly at the same time,

"Let her sleep." She smiled to herself thinking about how much Fitz wanted to take care of her sister, and how he managed without her really knowing and being able to protest. Most of her fears about their mother running him off went away. It would take a lot to manage that, she realized.

They parked the car and began to empty everything out, Olivia woke up and realized she was in Fitz's arms and he was carrying her to the plane. When he realized she was awake he felt bad.

"I was really hoping we could take off before you woke up." Fitz told her sympathetically.

"I'll be okay." She was unconvincing. She hated flying, she wasn't afraid of much, but metal soaring through the sky made her knees weak and her palms sweat.

"Do you trust me Livvy?"

"Without a doubt." This time he believed her.

"I'll keep you safe up there, okay?" She nodded in response.

"You can put me down you know right?"

"I figure as long as your brother is watching me like a hawk this is probably the only chance I'll get to have you in my arms." She smiled at him.

"Good thinking," she snuggled in closer. Huck had already made himself a nest towards the back with all his gear. Claudia was flipping through a magazine not really paying much attention, she looking perfectly comfortable. Fitz thought that Claudia's calm might help Olivia so he brought her over there and helped her into the seat. She still looked apprehensive. He grabbed his bag from the front two seats where Michael had left them. He came back to her and handed her the biography she had been reading about Henry Halleck and her iPod with a pair of headphones.

"Thought you might want these," he smiled at her trying to be as helpful as possible; he knew she was miserable.

"I can't believe I forgot this! I don't think I've ever gone anywhere without a book."

"Well I'm not surprised, you forgot your wallet too, but it's in my bag. I've got you covered Livvy." He kissed her, squeezed her hand and headed into the cockpit to get them on their way. He had called ahead, so that all he had to do now was fly the plane. Michael followed him, and he and Olivia watched as he started up the plane, closed all the doors, checked and rechecked. From her seat Olivia could hear Michael telling Fitz that Huck got them cleared to land at a small private airport near their house. They went back and fourth talking about Cessna versus Learjets and his training in the navy. Before he got ready for take off he looked back and Olivia winked at her and got into his zone. Michael made his way back and sat across from her, giving her a scrutinizing glare. He knew she hated flying, not to mention the reason she was flying. Claudia was in her own world reading about some celebrity's marriage, as in tune as she was with her sister, this time she was more worried about what they would find when they landed than what was happening in the moment.

"Who's Henry Halleck?" Michael was trying to distract her before take off, he already knew the answer, but he knew getting her talking about politics and books was a sure way to get her attention off of take off.

"Huh?" She never took her eyes off the back of Fitz head as he was in the cockpit, she finally turned her head towards him briefly and he inclined his head at her book.

"Oh uhh civil war general, grant's chief of staff, Ulysses S. Grant," she smirked at the coincidence, "Lincoln thought he was a moron, but Grant saw something in him, well maybe I haven't gotten very far…" She started to go on about his time served as a general and the virtues of having a weak chief of staff rather than one that wants to dominate the office. He was relieved when she finally took her eyes off Fitz's head and loosened her grip on the book in her lap. The conversation had some how segued to the civil rights act, then to the dropping of the atomic bomb, then to him trying to get her to pick a position instead of arguing both sides. Somewhere in 1947 Claudia had moved to sit back by Huck and watch him work and continue to dig through papers. She was going stir crazy, not wanting to get into another debate about abortion. The last time Huck had to break them up when Claudia started yelling and asking Olivia is her vagina is apolitical.

They had been up in the air for about an hour when she had Michael had finally given up their debate. He was leaning back in the chair with his eyes closed and she was listening to her iPod on shuffle. When a song from the Arctic Monkeys new album came on she immediately pulled the ear buds out, realizing that that's where she should be. She should be putting on her tightest jeans and highest heels to torture Fitz and dancing with her best friend, instead she's on the way to save her mother from herself. Despite her nerves she got up and headed to the cockpit, hoping so one would notice. She didn't want to startle him so she tapped lightly on the opening,

"Fitz?" her voice pulled him out of his reverie. He had loved piloting a plane, literally being above all of your problems, looking straight a head and just thinking about what he would need to do to stay in the air or to land soothed him, but Olivia did that too for him now.

"How are you doing?" He was worried.

"I'm fine."

"Liv you've said that so many times today it doesn't even sound like a word anymore. Why don't you sit down?" He gestured to his lap.

She grinned at him as she deepened her voice, "but Captain Grant I don't think that's the proper place for a co captain," he didn't give her a chance to move as he pulled her onto his lap. He kissed her neck while trying to keep his hands on the wheel, which was proving more difficult as she squirmed in his lap. Before things got too distracting for him she stilled and pulled away slightly.

"Honestly Fitz I don't know if its because its you flying this thing or because I have other things I'm trying to find a way to fix in my head, but right now at this moment I really am fine." She leaned further back into his lap looking out the front window and watching his hands as they moved effortless to control the plane. It would have been a massive turn on had she not been preoccupied with her mother.

"You're going to have to take me up again when things die down, if they do," she huffed, "although its going to be really hard trying to join the mile high club with you up here." Fitz eyes went wide and she felt him shift underneath her.

"You are asking for trouble Livvy."

"Well I don't want to do that, I better go back to my seat Captain Grant."

"Don't even think about it." He gripped her tighter. After a while sitting like that Olivia got uncomfortable and headed back to grab her book, then curled up in the spare seat in the cockpit. She switched off between looking out the windshield watching him and reading her book. Pretty soon she dozed off again. Fitz called back to Claudia and asked her to throw a blanket over her. Before any of them realized how much time had passed Fitz was beginning to prepare to land the plane and the change in the atmosphere was intense.

Fitz didn't even have to ask them this time not to wake Olivia. He was bound and determine to keep the peaceful look she had on her face in her sleep there as long as he could, and her family seemed to unconsciously agree. He landed the plane without any problems and opened the doors while Huck and Michael started bringing the bags to the car. Michael had one of his guys drop it off for them earlier. Claudia helped gather Olivia's things and help Fitz get everything put back on the plane. Before anyone really wanted to Fitz went to wake up Olivia.

She could feel him stroking her hair, but she knew what she would wake up to so she let him try to rouse her longer than necessary. "Livvy? Were here. Come on I know you're awake under there." He moved her hair out of her face and she finally opened her eyes.

"Let's get this over with." It was all she could say really. She wasn't pleased to be home, because really Kansas wasn't her home anymore. It was in Providence with Fitz and Abby and even David. Having her family be there with her just reinforced that in her mind. She let Fitz help her up and take her hand as they walked down the stairs from the plane to the tarmac. Claudia was waiting at the bottom, looking the exact way Olivia felt.

"There's no place like home huh CeeCee?" Olivia asked her.

"Too bad we can't just pour a bucket of water on this problem." They walked in sync together to the car Fitz following behind them.


	12. Chapter 12

They each climbed into the waiting car as Olivia took several deep breaths and put on her fight face. Huck and Michael were in the front. Huck had finally stopped his research or whatever it was that he was doing on the computer. Olivia Claudia and Fitz were all squished in the back, with Olivia in the middle. She was grumbling as her knees were nearly to her chest.

"You're the shortest suck it up little bit," Claudia told her as soon as she heard complaint. When Fitz started laughing Olivia shot him a look and he immediately took her legs and threw them over his own as an apology. Claudia rolled her eyes, and Fitz faux whispered in Olivia's ear,

"You are very tiny Livvy." She tried to give him another dirty look, but he was giving her the smile that she loved, the one that showed all of his teeth, the one that made his eyes more blue and less gray, and the one that he only had on his face with her. She hated being the smallest, it was bad enough she was the youngest, but everyone was taller than her, Claudia by only a few inches but Michael, Huck and Fitz all towered over her by about a foot. When she was talking she could command a room and her size didn't matter, but around her family she often felt dwarfed. She allowed her upper body to lean into her sister's and her legs rested on Fitz as she watched the familiar roads pass by. Michael is talking about all the traveling they've done and how he misses his bed even though its only been a day when it hits her,

"We are NOT staying at the house! Absolutely not."

"Liv…"

"No way! We have no idea what we're walking into, I know you guys live there and that's fine, but you need to take us to a hotel. I'll get a room and a rental car." Fitz was surprised this was even an option; he didn't realize the Michael and Claudia still lived at home, apparently Huck had a small studio apartment, and they would need somewhere to stay tonight. It was nearly ten o'clock Kansas time.

"Liv you can stay in the pool house…" Claudia was beginning to try and get her to agree, she was right that they had no idea what they would be walking into and they would be safer together.

"No, its fine. Huck get five rooms at that place by the convention center." Michael didn't want to go back to that house any more than Olivia did." Olivia cleared her throat at the number of rooms, Michael gave her a look that very clearly said, "don't push me," and Fitz patted her knee to get her to drop it.  
She paid little attention to anything going on with the drive and tried to focus on feeling Fitz hands absent-mindedly rubbing her legs. Claudia pointed out the high school to Fitz and told several stories about some of the various spots that they passes, they both tried to get her to engage in the conversation knowing the Olivia living in her own head would only make matters worse. They could both see the wheels turning in her head, working out every scenario in compulsive repetition.

Before Olivia got through a few variations of seeing her Mother, for the first time in nearly four years, she realized they were entering through the gate and heading up the long driveway. Fitz and Claudia could both feel her body tense and they reached out to comfort her at the same time. Her eyes got glassy and her face immediately got splotches of red, she didn't even realize Fitz was squeezing her hands and Claudia had wrapped an arm around her.

Michael parked the car and took a deep breath as he looked at his sisters in the review mirror.

"They don't know where here, well you, Liv. We didn't exactly tell Dad what was going on we just left, and you know Mom doesn't ask, so she doesn't know we went to get you," Michael was almost apologetic when he told her. She just nodded, it didn't really change anything, and she still wouldn't receive the warm welcome she craved, not without her Grandmother there.

"Let's move people," the soft voice Olivia used around him was gone, she and her family all had identical looks on their face, the Gladiator look as Michael had joked earlier, but he could see that this was how they survived. They took care of one another; one unit of stone faces fighting anything that could come their way. He wondered if that's what he would have been like had his father's child had been born, for a minute he wished he had someone to suffer through his parents with, but then he realized how selfish it would be to subject anyone else to that. Even if Olivia, Huck, Cammie, Claudia, and Michael had each other, they were still basically orphans.

They unloaded from the car without bothering to take their belongings, they wouldn't be staying long. Michael lead them with Claudia at his shoulder, followed by Olivia, who's grip on Fitz hand had tightened without her actually intending to, and Huck taking up the rear. Michael walked straight to the front door and knocked before sticking his key in, despite the late hour he knew both his parents would be awake.

"Mom, Dad, we need to talk, come down here… please." Michael knew his parents wouldn't take well to being ordered around, but he was too tired and angry to kiss their asses. Frankly they were lucky he added the please. Maya Pope came out from an unknown room down the hall, but Fitz immediately knew who she was. The resemblance was striking. He found where Olivia got her hair, size, and those big brown eyes. Although on Olivia her hair was flowing and rich, Maya's looked as if it had been exposed to heat damage. Fitz loved how tiny Olivia was, he loved being able to pick her up and toss her on the bed, then watch is her size disarmed anyone, until she spoke, but again on Maya, it just made her look short, nothing more. The eyes though, they were the exact same color and shape, but Olivia's eyes were so expressive and alive, they told him anything he needed to know about what she was thinking or feeling, but Maya's eyes were dead, cold, empty.

"I feel like I'm being summoned and I don't particularly care for it Michael," her words were ice, there was no love or affection, there was only the tiniest hint of familiarity, but mostly indifference. Fitz didn't understand how anyone could treat any of the Pope's he had come to know this way. He was cautious around Michael and Huck to a greater degree, but he already considered them all family. He watched as Olivia shriveled in her mother's presence and it broke his heart.

"Hi Mom." Olivia stepped a little front so that Michael and Claudia weren't blocking her anymore. Maya's face registered no change.

"Olivia. Your hair is different." She self-consciously touched her curls before quickly removing her hand and placing it back in Fitz's hand.

"Well its been a while Mom," her voice was different again, it wasn't his Livvy or the Gladiator, she was a little girl, it was horrible for everyone to watch. Her siblings hadn't heard her use that voice since she left, and it upset them visibly, Michael actually winced when she spoke.

"Yes, I suppose it has Olivia, I see that's not the only thing that's changed." She eyed Fitz and their joined hands with a pinched expression. Fitz was contemplating introducing himself when Claudia finally spoke up, it seems she, like Olivia, had lost some of her personality around their mother.

"Don't you want to know why she's here?" Claudia's voice was a mingling of anger, fear, and protectiveness.

"I figured I would be enlightened once the pleasantries were over, but apparently we are skipping right over that." There was a sneer on her face that only intensified when she heard her husband coming into the room.

"Liv?! What are you doing her sweet girl?" Fitz was thrown by the welcome and how different it was from her mother's. Her father pulled her into a hug, not even noticing Fitz, he only had eyes for his daughter. He whispered into her hair, "I missed you baby girl." Olivia may have had a strained relationship with her parents, but her father loved her, he was ruthless and conniving, but he loved his children. Despite not being trained for the family business Olivia had spent a lot of time with her Dad, talking about cars, books, and football and often him bouncing ideas off of her. It still wasn't a normal or really very healthy parent child relationship, but it was love and she appreciated what she had, knowing the alternative was worse.

He still had an arm looped over his daughter's shoulders when he noticed Fitz standing next to her watching her like a hawk. His loving father face faltered and was replaced by the head of a major crime organization so quickly Fitz was still stunned when he stuck out his hand,

"My name is Fitzgerald Grant, its nice to meet you sir." He briefly wondered if he should bow or something, but it seemed her father was receptive to the handshake. "Nice to meet you too, Fitzgerald is it? You can call me Eli, I assume you've already received my son and nephews approval, because you're standing here without any open wounds." Olivia was taken back by her father's quick acceptance, but assumed it was because he had truly missed her he was going to give them both a reprieve from the third degree. He turned back to face his daughter,

"Okay Liv, why are you here, not that I'm not happy to see you, but the four of you look like you're about to implode," his business face front and center.

Everyone looked at Michael to allow him to explain, while Maya stood back looking annoyed.

"We've got a problem, with Liv's cover, there's been a leak." Her Father's face dropped and her Mother's face dropped for an instant replaced by the sneer too quickly.

"Okay come on, lets go to the table, you guys can fill me in on what's going on, then you can explain to me why your first instinct was to go to Rhode Island and not mention a goddamn thing to me." He knew his children were a united front, but this was unacceptable, he was still in charge. Maya knew they knew what role she had in it and quickly tried to take focus off of herself until she could figure something out. He husband was ruthless and he loved and more than that he actually respected Olivia, there was no way she was going to get out of this unscathed.

"I know you all know better than to discuss this in front of someone outside of the family." Maya was stoned faced as she said it and gestured towards Fitz. Olivia immediately latched onto him.

"It's fine, he knows. We had to tell him, didn't have a choice." Claudia is succinct, but speaks directly to her father. He immediately knows something must have happened and his anger flares.

"Not only did you three leave, knowing full well she was in trouble, but now you're telling me something happened so you decided to further risk her safety by revealing family secrets to a stranger? Have you all lost your minds?" They all just stood there frozen, when they acted to help Olivia, it wasn't a plan, it was instinct. Olivia had officially had enough of the awkward silence and spoke up first. Fitz was relieved when he heard her Gladiator voice, it wasn't his Livvy, but it was a step in the right direction.

"Mother, you have no part in the businesses, any of them, so you are just as much an outsider as Fitz, but trust me when I say you want to be here for this conversation. Dad, Fitz is not a stranger. He took a bullet for me and has been by my side for a year protecting me. Claudia, Michael and Huck didn't tell you what was going on because the last thing they needed was you to start a war based on a false lead. Now can we please sit down and discuss this so I can get back to my life?" Both her parents looked at her shocked, her father's face was also mingled with pride, her mother's anger.


	13. Chapter 13

When Olivia had confronted her parents she moved in front of her siblings, Michael and Claudia were standing on either side of Fitz, stunned by what had just transpired. Huck had a small smirk on his face. Olivia is still staring down her parents, not willing to be the first to blink. She hears Michael and Claudia whispering behind her.

"You know we would never get away with that right?" Claudia said in a hushed tone to Michael.

"So are we going to sit down and handle this or not?"

"Olivia, I don't think I really want to deal with your attitude. You left this family we didn't leave you so I wont have you playing the victim." She was reaching. Maya and Olivia both new it. Olivia had a small look of momentary triumph on her face. Eli sensed his wife was acting off, yes she always was indifferent to their kids, but for her to say that Olivia left the family, as if she cared alerted him to something being off.

"Everyone sit. Now. Explain quickly." Eli commanded and everyone responded to his instructions. Michael and Huck told him about hearing through the grapevine that people were looking for Olivia, and they immediately went to her. The plan being to alert her and keep an eye out until they felt there was no threat. Olivia picked up the story telling him about her and Fitz going for breakfast when Fitz saw a man pull a gun and aim it in their direction. When Olivia's face got splotchy again Claudia picked up where she left off. Seeing Fitz pushing her down and taking a bullet in his arm, she told him how they stitched him up and took him home. Michael then explained that they found the gunman and got him to talk, which led them to Sal, the ghost.

"We can't find any information on him. There isn't a picture, and Sal more than likely isn't his real name. We hit a road block." Despite his anger at his mother Michael couldn't continue, he knew what his mother would face from his father. He looked at Huck and he picked things up.

"I had been tracking people's online presence, as well as phone records, in the community to figure out who could have let it slip that Liv is alive, especially after all this time." Maya sat perfectly still the whole time, not showing any fear. "And we uhm found that the leak… it uhm… came from inside the family." Everyone looked around finally realizing how bad this was going to be if even Huck had a hard time breaking the news.

"Let me save you all some stress and time, I know Maya did it." Everyone stared at Eli, no one could believe he would let her get away with something that duplicitous.

"How could you let her do that?" Michael sat in disbelief, he worshipped their father the way politicians admire Nixon.

"He wouldn't, he wanted her to do it. He put her up to it. Didn't you?" Olivia didn't have to ask she already knew the answer, but at this point he owed her the truth. When he didn't answer she went on,

"You helped me get away, you trained them to take on the business, I was supposed to go to college and get a degree that I would actually use. I was going to have a legitimate life. Why would you bring me back into this?" She looked back and fourth between her mother and father, everything shifted, all the anger she had for her Mother for betraying her and her father evaporated, and all that was left was a void.

"It was time Olivia, you needed to come back to reality. When we realized how ingrained this life was becoming in you, you got sloppy. Beating that girls boyfriend, we knew it was time to bring you home." Olivia stared at her mother. Her siblings were silent, staring. She couldn't even look at Fitz, but if her grip on her knee was any indication he wasn't coping well either.

"The deal was I don't come back. You both warned me that if I did this I would be out. I accepted that and was grateful for that opportunity and you played me. I wanted normal and easy. I didn't want my life to be a long line of people waiting to die in the service of Eli Pope."

"Normal is not an option Olivia that is not what you were bred for. You will come home as soon as you graduate and you will happily stand in line, the line to power. That's why people are in the line because they want power. You used to want that to until we let you leave, now you want normal." Her mother scoffed at the word normal. "You think I wasn't just like you? That I wanted this when I was eighteen, my parents sent me away, and you know what I came home and fell in line and you will too." For a moment she sat in stunned silence. She had no idea her mother ever tried to leave the life. Her mother was the epitome of the mafia wife. Strong in her own right, but willing to defer to the men around her, ambitious, but willing to share the throne if only to taste the power. How had her teenage mother gone from wanting to runaway and have a life to the women that raised her?

"I'm not you Mom, besides I'm dead, what are you planning on telling people, reanimation?"

"Olivia dear, don't ask questions you know the answer its beneath you." Her father looked disgusted he even had to have this conversation.

"Closed casket." It was a hushed whisper. They had a closed casket because the body was too mangled. This had been their plan all along.

"This little reprieve is over." He said it like there was no argument, and maybe if he had told Claudia or Michael that would have been it, but for Olivia she always had another card to play.

"What makes you think I will just come back? How can I even be apart of this family if I can't trust you? What you did could have gotten people killed could have gotten me killed? Was it worth the risk?"

"You didn't get hurt."

"Didn't get hurt?! Are you crazy? Fitz got shot, I had to stitch him back together, that hurt me. Had he not been there I would have gotten shot." She felt Fitz flinch when she said it.

"Because you've gotten sloppy." She saw no remorse or understanding in either one of their eyes.

"So this is my punishment? For growing up? For making my own life? For falling in love with him, I'm sure you never saw that coming." She knew her parents thought she was being ridiculous even arguing that love might be a valid reason for her not wanting this life. She's done, there's nothing they would say at this point, but she needs to know why they would do this, even if the reason doesn't make sense to her she needs it. She gets up and begins to pace in circles, her siblings stare straight a head, but Fitz's eyes followed her. He missed her being next to him, but he knew she needed to think.

"We don't have time for this Olivia. You don't have a choice, I'll be in my office." Her father left the room and her mother followed soon after. All five of them sat in silence, no one knowing what to do. Olivia looked around and saw that everyone was clueless as to what their next step would be.

"Like hell am I coming back, so think people." Olivia was sick of her parents manipulations, no matter what she needed to do to convince them she was no longer under their thumb she would do it. Huck spoke up first,

"First thing he is going to try and do is get your name off of the accounts, he hasn't yet."

"Okay we can fix that, move the money, all of it. Put it in one of your personal accounts, I guess, its not like I can hide it in my bed, I can find a way to open my own later. Next?"

"We still don't know what family he is working with. It has to be someone he trusts, someone that wasn't hurt by the fallout," Michael paused looking back and fourth between Olivia and Fitz, "you know who we have to talk to."

"No absolutely not!" Claudia finally spoke up.

"You think I want to? We don't have a choice, Huck can you find him? I guess I'll have to tell him I'm not dead. That will be a delightful conversation…" Olivia made a sour face. Claudia looked livid, but nodded in agreement to whatever plan they had come to subconsciously.

"Well actually Liv that's one thing you wont have to do…"

"Michael, you didn't! He knows!? Seriously does anyone still think I'm dead!?

"We ended up in the same bar after your fake funeral, he was a mess Liv. I was too." Olivia was so angry that it seemed she was the only one truly dedicated to keeping her dead.

"Got him, he's at the hotel bar actually." Huck told them.

"Fitz?" Olivia was nervous. "Come on. You get to meet my ex." She sounded defeated. She never wanted Fitz to realize what her life was before he walked into it, and her ex would be just a little too enlightening. As one unit they all began to move except for Fitz. She held out her hand and he grabbed it. Fitz knew she had dated before, but a sudden spark of jealousy flooded him when he realized they were going to him for help when he couldn't.


	14. Chapter 14

The longer Olivia sat in the car and thought about her ex, the angrier she got. She met him on her seventeenth birthday at a concert, she knew who he was immediately. Stephan Concietti. He was the son of another mob boss in the area. At first she thought it would be a great way to piss off her father, how stereotypical. The mafia princess falls for the mafia prince from rival families. She quickly realized he father thought he could use the relationship to his advantage, and Stephan's father thought the same. As soon as she realized she was being pimped out by her own father, for the sake of business, she told Stephan hoping to end the relationship, but he continued to pursue her claiming he had no interest in the business. They had fun together and both understood the life, but it never amounted too much more than that for Olivia, however Stephan was different. He loved her. She broke up with him before she faked her death in an effort to save him some pain, but if what Michael said was true he was still upset when she died. Michael hated him and distrusted him, there was no way that he would have confided in him unless he saw Stephan was in real pain. Olivia briefly wondered why he never sought her out when he found out, but really it was for the best. What she had with Stephan was over before it had began.

Fitz wasn't hard to read. He was jealous. He kept his arm locked firmly around her the whole drive. She knew he was feeling awful about not being able to help her, and they hadn't had the chance to explain who Stephan was and why he could help. There really wasn't time. For now the only thing she could do to reassure him was to lean in closer to him and give him encouraging glances. His body was tenser then it normally was, but it was still home, and she found comfort in his grasp. After everything that her parents had told her, and the adrenaline after, she hadn't really had time to think about it, but she was quickly crashing. He was the only thing holding her together. She tried to squeeze him and give him looks that told him as much, and he gradually relaxed, but they got to the hotel too quickly, and he stiffened again. She pulled his head down to her and whispered, "I love you," only loud enough that he could hear her. She felt miserable over what he was brought into, but she really couldn't do this without him anymore.

They all starting getting out of the car when Huck stopped them,

"Liv, you and Fitz check in, we will bring up the bags, change and then head to the bar." Olivia and Claudia both gave him a questioning look, its not like Huck was concerned with fashion, he wore jeans and the same five shirts on rotation, while the guys started unloading.

"You need to talk to him, he's vibrating," Huck nodded his head in Fitz's direction, "besides you will stick out like a sore thumb dressed like that in a hotel bar." She looked down and realized she was wearing leggings and a one of Fitz's old navy shirts that skimmed the bottom of her thighs, she wasn't wearing make up and her hair was in a knot on top of her head. Claudia wasn't dressed much differently, they would look ridiculous, he was right on both counts. Olivia walked over to Fitz and grabbed her backpack from him with a bump to his hip and a look that made sure he couldn't help but follow her into the lobby. Olivia went right up to the counter and got the keys, when she returned with only four keys Michael gave her a look and said, "You better be bunking with Claudia because I'm not sharing a room." Olivia just rolled her eyes and moved even closer to Fitz. After everything that had happened today and was going to happen later, she wouldn't be with him tonight. Fitz tried not to smirk as he looked at his shoes. With a pissed off look on his face he stalked off to the elevators leaving Claudia and Huck with impressed looks on their faces.

"And here I thought I was going to have to smuggle you into my room in my backpack." Fitz was relieved, they didn't sleep well apart and he still didn't feel comfortable about going to meet her ex boyfriend.

"Nah I'm not that flexible."

"I think we both know that's not true." For the briefest of moments when she looked at his smile and the way his eyes crinkled like an old man's they were back in Rhode Island and everything was fine. She gave him and wink and walked away with an extra sway of her hips, he knew was just for him. They all went up to the elevator and into their rooms to get showers and settled in. Olivia was exhausted as Fitz held the door open for her, as soon as he closed the door behind him she plopped down on the bed and patted the spot next to her. They both laid on their back looking at the ceiling, after a few minutes Olivia turned over and molded her body to Fitz's side. He wrapped his arms around her and asked,

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About how I got you shot? Although technically my parents did that, we could talk about that. Oh or about how now my parents want to keep me here and if I don't your life is in danger? How about the fact that you would be so much better far far away from all this, and me, but I'm too selfish to let you go? How about the fact that we have to go and get help from the man my father pimped me out to? That will be fun. We could talk about how its even possible for you to love me after seeing where and who I came from or how scared I am about what you will think about the things I will have to do!" She was sitting up on the end of the bed giving him a look that scared him. It was her face that told him she was going to run, the same face she had in the beginning when she thought he was just the TA that liked to hook up with the students. The face that old him she doesn't trust him, it's the face she makes when her gut, brain, and heart are all fighting each other.

"Olivia look at me!" She turned immediately he never called her Olivia, even when they first met each other within a week it was Liv, then later Livvie.

"You DID NOT, I repeat did not get me shot, and neither did your parents. Whoever pulled the trigger did. My life would be nothing without you, so me being better far away from you and whatever, wherever that might bring us, is so wrong is almost humorous. Livvie my every mood is controlled by the look on your face. Whenever something happens, something funny or weird or scary, you're the person I want to tell, so if you're selfish than I am too because I'm not letting you go. There's nothing your family could do that would make me leave. You're not them. You're Livvy, you love watching the news, but only the political stuff because human-interest stories make you sad. Your hands are always warm but your feet are always freezing. You have the most beautiful laugh, when you really laugh, but when you sneak a laugh because you think you're the only one that thinks something is funny, that's amazing too. Nothing you could ever do would take that person away in my mind. As far as Stephan goes, it doesn't matter whatever he and your father pulled, and if he even looks in your general directional I'll pop him one." She looked at him in awe, the things he noticed about her weren't things that they had discussed, just things he knows from watching her and really paying attention. She didn't know what there was to say to that, it put her mind at ease,

"I love you so much Bee." She kissed him firmly, trying to convey how grateful she was to have him. How much she needed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as possible. They pulled apart breathless, both knowing how easy it was to get carried away, they had learned that the hard way.

Professor Beene had caught them on the couch in Fitz's office a few months earlier. She had busted in during his office hours yelling about her grade. Without saying anything she slammed the paper on his desk. She was repeatedly yelling "B!?" until he finally looked up and said, "It's Fitz but you can call me whatever you like." After they discussed her grade they had gotten so wrapped up in each other that when Dr. Beene knocked they didn't hear him come in. They both jumped up, when they heard, "My God." Fitz was covering her, while readjusting their clothes as he yelled at them, but eventually gave his approval, but insisting that he would grade Olivia himself. He recommended they stay under the radar, because while he had a soft spot for Olivia and Fitz not everyone would. He facetiously recommended code names. After that Liv called him Bee.

Regretfully she looked at her watch and realized they only had fifteen minutes before they were due to meet up with everyone.

"I'm going to grab a shower. Care to join?" She gave him a look and his face immediately light up, but quickly became a pout.

"We definitely wont be able to meet your family in time if we do, and some how I don't think Michael and Huck would be as understanding as Cyrus." He groaned frustrated and fell back into the bed as he watched her strip and throw her clothes in his direction. When her bra landed on his head he almost changed his mind, but thought better of it. After listening to Cyrus warn him about being good to Olivia Pope, he didn't want to get another one anytime soon especially from her over protective big brother with guns for hire. He threw on some jeans and a zip up sweater so that he would fit in more than he would in his gym clothes. He laid down and began reading as he waited for her to finish her shower.


	15. Chapter 15

When Olivia finally got out of the shower she found Fitz asleep with his book open on his chest. She smiled to herself when she saw that he was finally reading the first game of thrones book. When she was reading it he called her a geek and teased her but once they started watching the show together he immediately became addicted even more than she was. She marked his page and set it on the night table for him.

"Fitz... Bee... Gotta get up. I'm sorry." He was usually more difficult to wake up, but today as soon as he heard her voice his eyes peeled open immediately.

"I'm up. I'm up." He was looking around for his shoes and she brought them over to him. He looked down at her bare feet.

"You need shoes too Livvy."

"I know I only brought my old sneakers, I was hoping Claudia might have an extra pair of heels."

"No such luck Liv." Claudia had heard her and let herself into the room. Olivia gave a small pout. She was the shortest in the group and loved how heels made her feel less like a child not to mention the way Fitz watched when she walked in them gave her a huge ego boost. Claudia tossed her converse shoes, black with a hole patched with duct tape at her.

"Those are disgusting. We have more money then we could ever need and you wear those all the time." Olivia rolled her eyes at her sister, Olivia may love fashion and getting dressed up, but she's pretty low maintenance especially in comparison to her sister. She stuffed her feet into them as Fitz tied them for her. She hated tying her shoes and usually just stuffed the laces in but it always made Fitz nervous she was going to trip. Him tying her shoes and her tying his tie quickly became a morning ritual for them. Michael and Huck were standing outside the open door observing Michael announced their presence,

"Let's get this over with." Solemnly they followed his down to the hotel bar in search of Stephan.

"I can't believe we have to talk to this jackass, he better get on board here." Claudia was ranting and switching between calling him a douche and a jackass, normally Olivia would have told her to shut it down, but she mostly agreed, at least as far as needing his help. It was clear Fitz was enjoying Claudia's tirade, he was smirking until he saw the look on Olivia's face, she looked like she was going to be sick so he tried to hide it better. He knew he failed when she gave him an eye roll and muttered "shameless," under her breath. He knew he needed to act before he fell victim to one of her slaps,

"So what's the plan here? I mean how's he supposed to help?" Huck gave them both a strange look,

"You didn't tell him?"

"We were busy without bigger fish than Stephan, besides it's a bit more than a fifteen minute conversation." Olivia's answer came out snarkier than she intended, she gave Huck an apologetic look, and he didn't take it personally. He was more concerned about her state of mind after everything she had been through in less than twenty-four hours. Michael gave her a look telling her to pull it together and started explaining his plan,

"Stephan's father is… in a similar position to our father's," they were in public it wasn't as if he could say they were both criminals and murderers, "they both benefitted from Liv faking her death, and they became allies…" Olivia interrupted him,

"Which was probably the only reason Dad allowed me to date him, some disgusting arranged marriage to unite the families," she was nearly spitting. Fitz couldn't imagine someone using Olivia in that way and it made him furious. He wouldn't last long in Stephan's company.

"Most likely that's true, though we didn't think of it at the time. Anyway if he went, or rather had Mom go to one of the other families to spread word about Liv it would be Stephan's father, Joey. Lucky for us Stephan's hatred of his father is nearly matched to the torch he carries for Liv. Basically were going to get him work from his side, we work ours, and hopefully find Sal in the middle and it ends there." Fitz nodded understanding the gist, but knowing that this guy still had something with his Livvie made his crazier. His eyes were growing fierce and the blue was nearly consumed by the black of his pupil. He knew he couldn't let his jealousy interfere with what they needed to do, but something about the idea of someone else touching her, especially someone as unworthy, not that anyone was, as Stephan made him ache.

Olivia saw how tense he was, worse than when he was in the car, she knew there wasn't much she could do at this point, they needed his help. Fitz had nothing to be jealous of; even when they were dating it was nothing more than teenage stupidity, at least from her side.

"Should we really all approach him?" Claudia knew he would immediately know if they were all there he would be ambushed.

"You may have a point, CeeCee you can go back to the room, bring Huck you guys can do more research. Fitz you can…" He glared at her. He was going with her. She took his hand, "come with us, but try to be more puppy than pit bull. Please?" He nodded in agreement.

"You're sending me away because you think I'll just run him off? And youre having Huck baby sit me?"

"Yeah that pretty much covers it." Liv smiled a little sheepishly hoping she would go. Claudia and Stephan always hated each other; Claudia saw right through him and never trusted his motivations. Olivia figured she had been right, but now wasn't the time to point that out.

"Fine, but I'm ordering room service and raiding the mini bar." Olivia laughed and agreed.

Huck and Claudia headed back towards their rooms as Michael, Fitz and Olivia entered the elevator in silence. Once they entered the bar it wasn't hard to find Stephan. It was a Tuesday night and he was the only person sitting alone at the bar. The first thing Olivia saw was his back, he'd filled out quite a bit in the last three years. She couldn't imagine what that had done to his ego, but she imagined it hadn't helped the problem. Michael and Olivia exchanged a look and walked over, pulling out stools on either side of him. Fitz remained standing behind Olivia, acting as her sentry, not that she needed him, but it was comforting to have him there.

"Stephan, nice to see you're still predictable." She alerted him to their presence and nodded at his drink. Whiskey. He was always drinking whiskey, Olivia had come to find it repellent. The bartender headed over, but Michael waved him away.

"I wish I could say the same to you Liv, but the whole faking your death thing wasn't something I saw coming." He took a sip of his drink without looking at her.

"What can I say I like to keep people on their toes."

He snorted before replying, "you were always good at that weren't you, though you never could stick to a choice. I suppose that's why you're back? Or am I foolish to believe its for me?" She felt Fitz lunge a little behind her, but with a look from her he stopped. "Oh no, you didn't come back for me, I see you don't need me anymore, you've got him."

"I'm perfectly fine with the choices I've made. My parents however are not. They want me to come back. That's not going to happen. We would like to enlist your help with that."

"Why would I do that?"

"We all know how much you like to piss off your father, we are nearly certain our father's are working together on this one."

"Oh there I can agree. I'm sure my father sees your return as another way to get a piece of your father's business. Marry off the children and they split things. Its all very medieval in their minds. What they don't take into consideration was your general indifference to me and my feelings for you Liv. What makes you think I wont help them just to get you back here?"

"We were counting on your hatred of your father being greater than any crazy notions of affection you have for me."

He started shaking his head, "Crazy notions! I loved you. I still do." Olivia rolled her eyes.

"You followed your father's orders to get the enemy in your bed, don't mistake what happened for anything more than two ignorant people being manipulated."

"It was more than that." He looked vulnerable and for a second she felt for him but Olivia was getting angry, Fitz shouldn't have to listen to this and frankly she didn't want to have the conversation.

"This isn't about us. It's over. For good. If you choose to help us great if not, oh well I wasted fifteen minutes." She got up to leave, but he grabbed her arm, gentle enough so that while her sentries didn't go for him, they did inch closer.

"You know you should have told me yourself, I would have come with you and you wouldn't have to put up with this boor." She grabbed his drink and downed the rest of it. She had enough of his games. If he chose to help great if not they would find another way they always did.

"You always were a arrogant bastard, good to see that some things don't change." She smirked grabbing Fitz's hand to leave, "we'll be in touch. Oh and for the record I never needed you."


	16. Chapter 16

"Well that was an excellent waste of time." Michael was pissed, that wasn't how he had wanted or expected things to go at all. He couldn't believe Olivia had behaved like that, "clearly you didn't want his help, so what was the point of that Olivia? You just wanted to stick it to him that you got out and he didn't?" Michael never yelled at her this way, she was stunned, Fitz immediately felt protective, but honestly he had the same question as Michael did. What was she thinking?

"I want his help, we unfortunately need him, but I'm not going to kiss his ass. And clearly I didn't get out because here I am at one o'clock in the morning debating mafia politics with you. He will help us, letting him think I don't need him is just going to make sure he doesn't try to bargain with us. I know him a lot better than you think you do Michael." Without another word or look back she stomped off to her room leaving Fitz and Michael standing there stunned.

"She's…" Fitz began, but Michael interrupted,

"A handful, stubborn, brilliant, yeah, I know." Fitz laughed and they heard Olivia yell,

"I can hear you!" All three began laughing. Claudia and Huck exited the room across the hall after hearing their voices.

"That was quick." Claudia looked at the three of them and Olivia gave Michael and Fitz a look, Michael just shrugged at her,

"Apparently Liv has a plan that involves harassing him into helping us," he said. Claudia smiled,

"Best news I've heard all day." Michael looked between his sisters shaking his head, apart they were both a handful together it was like a tornado. He trusted them, it was best just to let Olivia handle it.

"I'm going in my room." Michael stalked off towards his door, he didn't even turn around when Olivia yelled, "Don't you want to eat anything?" he just shook his head. Fitz was still smirking next to her, but she noticed he jumped at the mention of food. They hadn't really eaten all day.

"Did you guys eat yet?" Olivia may have been the youngest, but she tried to take care of them, even when they were taking care of her.

"Nope, I was waiting for you." Claudia walked into Olivia and Fitz room and picked up the menu, plopping herself on the couch. Huck remained silent.

"Bee go a head and order one of everything. I'm starving!" She had been too busy to even think about food, but she wanted to talk to Huck alone. After a quick squeeze of her hand he sat down next to Claudia to peer over her shoulder. Olivia closed to door behind them and pulled Huck with her down the hall.

"Anything you want to tell me?" Olivia could read him, she was probably the only one. He put his head down, he really didn't want to burden her with more bad news.

"I moved all your money into my account. Its there whenever you need it."

"For which I am grateful, but that doesn't explain your face."

"I looked into Sal some more and I found him."

"Okay good, so we pay him off." Huck shook his head.

"I don't want to do that if we don't have to Huck."

"Let me take care of him. We eliminate him and Stephan will handle his father. He was on the phone with him before you even put down his drink." She raised her eyebrow at him. "I was watching on the cameras."

"Of course you were." She smiled.

"Liv, I want you to be free of this, me, Michael, Claudia, we don't know any better. There's nothing else out there for us. You and Cammie, deserve better. I am going to get you out."

"Its not worth killing we will find another way."

"If that's what you want fine, but Liv sometimes in this world there isn't another way. Your mother and father, I don't even know how Aunt Maya allowed this to go on…" Olivia was taken back by Huck's surprise. None of them really had any faith in her mother, she wasn't the attentive one, Eli was.

"I'm not surprised. We thought it was her all along, because she had different motives doesn't change that she still had a hand in it." Olivia was cut, but not by her mother, by the depth of her father's betrayal.

"Liv she was proud of you having left. She told my mother that you were doing what she never had the strength to. I don't know why she did this, but there is more to it." Olivia was shocked by what he had said. She had never known her mother to be anything more than indifferent, pride was shocking.

"He did this all along. It was him that sent me away, she was against it, she wanted me to leave on my own. If I left with his help or helping him he could pull me back at any second and I would be stuck… like she is."

"Liv we will figure this out, if need be we will sever Sal's ties to Eli. We can take Eli's power away from him if we need to, but you will get out of this." He hesitated, Olivia knew he had more to say, but was concerned. She stayed quiet giving him time. "When the time comes will you take Cammie with you? She loves you and shes so smart Liv. I know its been a long time, but you know how smart she is. She isn't like us." Huck's eyes became glassy and she pulled him into a hug.

"Of course, Huck." He nodded. When she released him from her grasp he went back to his own room. She knew the day had drained him, so she didn't try and force him to come eat with them.

When she turned around in the hall she saw a cart full of food and chuckled to herself, when the bellboy knocked on the door to her room. The two of them had definitely ordered one of everything, maybe more. She opened the door for him and followed him in. Claudia and Fitz both looked like kids at Christmas upon seeing the food. Fitz got up and paid the bellboy knocking Olivia's hand away as she tried to pay herself. Once he left Fitz pulled the cart in front of the sofa for them. Claudia immediately grabbed for food and Olivia laughed as she shoved a hand full of fries in her face.

"Don't laugh Liv, this is your plate." Olivia immediately rushed over and sat down next to her sister on the small love seat. She grabbed a few before realizing Fitz was still standing there looking at her.

"Come on and eat Fitz you haven't eaten much all day, and I should probably check your arm when you're done." He kept smiling at her, after everything she had been through in the past day she was still some how his Livvy. Even after being devastated she was able to joke with her sister and worry about him. It gave him hope. He went over and sat down in front of the couch leaning into her legs. He grabbed some of the food and relaxed into her. They settled into an easy conversation about music, apparently Claudia had never heard of the arctic monkeys and Fitz was appalled. Despite a storm brewing around them Olivia felt peaceful in the moment. She had finished eating and was playing with Fitz's curls when the conversation died down. All three of them were exhausted, Claudia left soon after they finished eating to go to sleep in her room, leaving Olivia and Fitz alone. He was enjoying the feeling of the long thin fingers going through his hair, they didn't say much. Everything that needed to be said had been before they went to talk to Stephan. They took the time to enjoy each other's company now. He laid her head in her lap for a while, but she soon picked his head up and led him to the bed. She was too exhausted to get changed; she just pulled her clothes off and settled under the covers waiting for him. As soon as he slid in she grabbed him and brought his face to her. She caressed his lips with her thumb before placing her mouth over his. He sucked on her lower lip and she let out a small moan. They were both too exhausted to go much further, but he pulled her on top on him anyway. She laid on top of him with her head on his chest as he played with the hair that had come out of her bun.

"I love you so much Livvy."

"Me too Bee." He pulled her closer to him, as if he was afraid she would escape.

"I'm not going anywhere. I can't not anymore."

"I wouldn't let you leave me Livvy. Never. No matter what happens tomorrow or any day after promise me this is always how our nights will be. You and me together." She choked up and bit. The emotions from the day had finally gotten to her, she let out a soft sob.

"I promise." He held her why she cried not asking for an explanation. He knew she thought her father loved her unconditionally. For her to find out that he's not who she thought she was broke something in her. He traded between rubbing her back and playing with her hair, knowing both would relax her.

"I didn't see it coming Fitz, I don't even understand it really. He just wants all this control, and I think…." She couldn't even get it out.

"Its okay Livvy you don't have to tell me tonight."

"No I think he tried to keep our mother away from us or something. I think its his fault she is this way. Huck told me he heard her say she was proud of me. He wouldn't lie to me. So why drag me back unless it was him. All this time, all these years I've hated the wrong parent."

"Of course she's proud, you're the great and formidable Olivia Pope." He kissed her head. "For what its worth I believe they both love you, maybe not the way you want or deserve, but they do."

"I wish that were enough."

"Im so sorry Livvy. I love you you should sleep." He could still feel her body shaking from the sobs she was trying to reign in, there would be more time tomorrow and all the days after for them to try and analyze her parents motives now she needed rest.

"You're enough Fitzgerald Grant. I love you too." Without another word she nuzzled into his chest. Her breathing slowed minutes later and she was asleep. He watched her face change as she slept to something more relaxed then followed her.


	17. Chapter 17

Olivia woke up around seven the next morning; her internal clock telling her it was time for class, even if it was fall break. Fitz was always up bright and early even when they had nowhere to go, she assumed it was a carry over from his time in the navy. This morning, however, he was sound asleep face down with one of his arms thrown over her side. When she tried to move his arm to let her sleep more his grip tightened, he was still mostly asleep.

"Livvy don't go!" He was whiny in the mornings, but she thought it was adorable. She kissed his shoulder and nuzzled her face into his neck,

"Fitz, I can't just lay here and not do anything. I'm sorry." He knew she would just lay there and obsess unless she did something active.

"They have an indoor pool. Why don't we go do a few laps? Make out in the deep end?" She laughed as he winked and gave her a goofy grin.

"We don't have bathing suits Fitz what do you suppose we swim in, this?" She gestured down to their bodies, she was only wearing a thong and her bra, and he was wearing boxers.

"And you definitely can't swim like that," she gave him a look as she noticed something pressing into her hip. He pulled his hips away a little sheepishly, he wanted her, but he didn't want to press her when she was going through something this difficult. If she wanted a distraction he would provide it whichever way she needed.

"A little cold shower should do the trick. Wouldn't be the first." He kissed her ear when he whispered to her.

"I have an alternative solution, after all I was promised a naked weekend." She started kissing his neck trying to get him on his back so she could straddle him. He pulled away for a second to look into her eyes; he didn't see anything but love and lust. "Unless you really wanna go for a swim?" she smirked at him. He pulled her back down on top of him again and started kissing her neck.

"I can't think of several better ways to get you wet Livvy," he breathed into her ear and she moaned, she loved feeling his breath on her. She threw her hips into his, without even thinking about it. He used his mouth to work her bra off her shoulders. She threw her head back when his mouth finally made contact with her nipple. There was a knock at the door, just as she was moaning his name and trying to peel off his boxers. They both groaned when they heard Michael at the door,

"Wake up, we need to figure out what we are doing today!"

"We are up, just give us time to get dressed! Meet you in the lobby!" Liv yelled back without stopping her progress on Fitz's boxers. She refocused her attention on him, but as she went to kiss him he pulled away with a defeated look on his face.

"Your brother is better than a cold shower."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say it was on purpose." She let her head fall down and kissed his chest.

"Although if you keep that up, I may be able to rise to the occasion." She lifted up her head and rolled to her side of the bed to get up,

"I need to take a shower," her tone was regretful. He nodded his head and rolled over moving towards his bag to find clothes for the day.

"Fitz?"

"Yeah Liv?"

"Are you coming?" He was up and running towards her waiting outside the bathroom, he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her into the shower stall with him. She was trying to bat his arms off, but wasn't putting in too much effort. Olivia let him drag her under the spray. They stood together enjoying the peace and the hot steam, before the chaos of the rest of the day.

They both washed up and quickly got ready to meet everyone downstairs, but found themselves having a harder time than usual keeping their hands off each other. Olivia left her hair down and threw on one of the sweaters she brought with her jeans. She looked at Fitz and wondered how a man could look so good with wet hair and a t-shirt. He caught her staring and pulled her into him by the collar of her sweater. She giggled in that carefree way that was music to his ears, especially as her sobs from the night before were still fresh in his ears. They kissed until they both needed to come up for air, Olivia stepped back to try and gain a modicum of self-control. His proximity always made her unravel.

"We need to go, we've been up here too long. I'm surprised they're not banging down the door," she gave the door a wary look. He looked into her eyes trying to get a glimpse into what she was thinking.

"Livvy," he pulled her into him again and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I… we don't have time."

"No, I just need one minute for you to look at me and tell me that you're still going to be you when this is over."

"Fitz, I don't know what you want me to say. I… I didn't expect this. It hurts. It hurts so damn much." She was beginning to tear up again. He pulled her in and held her close. It scared him to death that this would change her, and she wouldn't be The Formidable Olivia Pope anymore, she would be a stranger. He had watched as his mother went from the woman who read to him almost every night, even when he was a teenager to a murderer. He couldn't watch another person he loved go through that, he couldn't go through that.

"I want you to tell the truth, if you think this will break you I have a solution. If you think that you can do what needs to be done and still be you than great, I'm at your disposal." She was angry, so angry that his questions got to her she really couldn't answer them. How could she until this was all over.

"I don't know. Okay? You're worried because you think hurting my father will hurt me, but you have no idea what I'm capable of. No idea." She pushed him away and faced the wall. He looked at her with such love, but he had no idea. All those years people told her she looked like her mother, and she thought I'm my father's daughter. Resenting the similarities, but now she knows he's a monster. What's that make her? She knew she was clinical, able to separate her emotions from a problem. It was a source of pride for her and he had it too. Maybe that quality had allowed him to take the actions that he had.

"Olivia I know you remember? You think I don't know what you're capable of? I saw you beat a grown man with a tire iron before I even knew your name. And I didn't care. I saw the hatred you had in your eyes and I knew he must have done something that earned it. I'm your teacher too, I know you don't need a tire iron to cut someone down you can use your words, or just that look on your face. And maybe that isn't all that you're capable of, I don't know, but neither do you. No one knows what they are capable of until they do it. Take it from someone that watched that moment happen. It's the single most devastating thing to happen to a person. To find out what you're capable of. I never want that to happen to you. So if you think that's what's going to happen. We leave. You always talk about Australia right? Okay so we move there. That doesn't work out we try somewhere else. We can build a life together away from this if that's what you want."

"I don't want that. I want to be able to see my family. I want to fix this. That's what I do. I fix it. I make it okay for everyone. That's what I need to do." She still wouldn't look at him. He walked up behind her and placed his arms around her.

"I won't let you try and fix this and let it destroy you."

"It won't. I won't let it. As long as I have this and you to pull me back. It's going to get worse before it gets better, I know that, I do. But I won't run. That's not a life. We deserve better. I can't have this on my brain, always wondering why my mother is the way she is or why. I lost my father yesterday. And I mourn who I thought he was, but I may have gained a mother and I need to see that through." She finally turned around and looked up into his eyes. He still looked worried, but she had a feeling that look wouldn't go away until things were settled.

"You have me. Whatever happens, whatever you do, whatever he does, you have me." He pulled her into him and kissed her head and she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"We are going to be okay." She looked up to him trying to give him the one guarantee she had to offer. He kissed her head as it rested on his chest.

"I know Livvy." They stayed together for a few more seconds before Claudia banging on the door broke them apart.

"You better be decent when you open this door Olivia Carolyn Pope!" They both laughed and Fitz shook his head as Olivia went over to the door,

"You know I think that's exactly how I met Abby." Fitz told her in seriousness. It amused him endlessly to see that she had found a surrogate sister in Abby. Her and Claudia were very similar. Both tall and domineering, with a complete lack of a filter or embarrassment. When Olivia opened the door Claudia was on the other end with her hand over her eyes.

"Oh grow up. We were just talking!" Fitz was laughing behind Olivia as she yelled at her sister in annoyance.

"Yeah that's what you said that time you came out of your room with all those 'spider bites' in high school, interesting how they only got your neck." Fitz raised his eyebrows at Olivia,

"Please go on!" he told Claudia knowing it embarrassed Olivia, he loved the pink hue of her cheeks and how it ran down her long neck when she was embarrassed.

"I thought we were late!" Olivia looked between the two of them as they exchanged conspiratorial looks. Claudia nodded and headed out the door with them following, but before they got too far, Fitz grabbed her arm and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear,

"Spider bites hmm? You know I'm the jealous type right?" He was nipping at her shoulder under he sweater as he spoke. He knew he was torturing her.

"Nope hadn't noticed." He gave a low growl as he pushed her sweater back to where it belonged.

"I think the hotel may have that problem too." He gave her a look and she looked at her shoulder as it started turning red. She rolled her eyes at him,

"I'll return the favor," she winked at him. They had to be extremely careful in Providence. Matching hickeys wouldn't help them keep a low profile, but here she felt a bit more carefree even with everything going on it was nice to be able to walk down the halls and not worry about a classmate seeing them.


	18. Chapter 18

Olivia felt like she had already had a full day. Between spending time in the shower with Fitz and the emotional discussion they had barely had time to finish she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Truly the day had barely begun. They had a lot to plan and to deal with. Michael and Huck were sitting at a table in the same bar from last night, the smell of liquor replaced by freshly brewed coffee. They each had a mug in front of them. Huck was typing away on his computer and Michael looked annoyed. Olivia didn't have to wonder long what had pissed him off so early,

"Stephan called me. He's helping us. Said his father is meeting with out father and he plans to get in invitation to the meeting. I can't believe that worked."

"He hates his father a lot more than he thinks he loves me." Fitz stiffened a bit at her words. The idea that another man was in love with her bothered him. Not that he didn't understand it, there were times when he wondered how every man in the room didn't fall on their knees in front of her, but Stephan actually knew her. It was different.

"How are we going to explain you staying here to Dad? He's going to assume you'd go back to school to finish." Claudia was done talking about Stephan, as far as she was concerned he was irrelevant.

"I'm going to go talk to him. Try to make some progress, if I can't I'll tell him what he wants to hear until we can work out how to oust him."

"Wait what?" Michael was stunned his sisters were talking like this. He knew their father needed to be handled, but he didn't really think that would be the plan.

"You know in order for me to get away from him we need to take his power and control away. We take away the business we take away the majority of his connections. People outside the family are only loyal to him as long as he provides them with something, they don't care who is in charge. People inside the family are already loyal to you Michael. We get the outsiders the insiders will follow the power. If Stephan's father is involved with Dad that means they've got a business connection. We sever that and it's a start for you to get in. Repair the bond and you've got the family behind you and Dad will be forced to retire and hand over the reins."

"Do you really think it will be that simple Olivia? Sever one connection and he will go off into that good night?"

"Of course not. But we have until May. He won't demand me to come back until then. One step at a time. This gets you looked at as a leader, the more people you get behind you the more people will see that. It needs to be gradual, so that he doesn't realize it until its too late."

"I don't get it, why is he risking everything to get you to come back? Don't get me wrong I love you Olivia, but he never raised you like he did Claudia and I." Olivia looked down she spent the better part of last night thinking the same thing. Without looking up she replied quietly,

"Because he didn't have to." They all stared at her except for Fitz, who put his hand on her leg. "You guys were raised and bred for this. I was born for it. I already am cold and clinical. I am my father's daughter. Spending so much time with Grams and loving you guys dampened it so that I didn't become the monster that he is, but its there. He saw it and now he wants to use it." The realization hit each of them at different times. Michael gave a dark laugh,

"We always thought you were the lucky one."

"I will be." She had a look of utter determination on her face. After a pause she started again. "Tell Stephan we want to know what's going on immediately after. Fitz and I will go to the house, you guys start outlining Dad's connections as they are now, I've been out of the loop for too long. Huck can you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Barcelona is going to be at the midland, get me six tickets." He gave her a look.

"I need to blow off some steam with my family, I need a real drink. I also love that band and I already missed the Arctic Monkeys, besides I'm taking my man on a date." She gave Fitz a wink. He had always made an effort to take her out of town so that they could go out instead of spending all their time locked up in one of their apartments, hiding out in dark restaurants, or meeting at a movie. There was no way he was going to let her feel wrong or dirty for what they were doing. It wasn't something they could do every weekend, so they had been on very few dates given how long they had been together. Tonight she would make it up to both of them.

"Do you think it's a good idea? What if someone sees you?"

"Oh do mobsters hangout at clubs now? I need something to look forward to so I don't try and strangle my father for the no doubt horrendous things he's going to say to me." Huck nodded in agreement and quickly ordered the tickets online.

"Done." She smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks Huck." Michael and Claudia were already discussing connections as they pulled out of map of Kansas City to mark up territory. She took the chance to try and convince Fitz not to go with her to see her Dad.

"So it looks like they could use some help here, Huck can drive me home, then I'll get all dressed and we can dance and you'll hate it." She said smiling hoping her tone had some finality without it sounding like an order. He glared.

"You will drive us over to your father's. I will go in with you. We will come home, you'll be grumpy, but I'll say something charming and you'll put on something sexy to torture me. You'll make fun of my dancing and I'll hate it." The tone she was aiming for he had nailed. That was exactly what was going to happen. She nodded giving her consent.

"Let's get this over with." Michael tossed her the keys,

"Keep it below sixty Liv it's a rental." She rolled her eyes and started walking out the door Fitz following closely behind. Everyone knew she had a habit of speeding, which wasn't a problem when she was in Rhode Island driving her car. She rarely got pulled over and when she did talking her way out of it was so easy it was more an inconvenience than a challenge. For high school graduation she had bought herself the car of her dreams, a baby blue 1969 ford Mustang. If a cop dared pull her over in her baby the sight of a hot chick in a hot car was guaranteed to allow her to get away with a warning. Fitz loved her car, she had taught him how to drive a five speed in it after their first date. He drove a BMW X5, that she loved making fun of, but they usually took his car, it was less conspicuous.  
He never realized what a truly terrifying driver she was until they were swerving in and out of lanes and she was yelling curses at anyone that wasn't doing five over the posted speed limit. He sat there the whole time clutching the door and thanking god they only had a short trip.

"You know that break you keep hitting over there isn't real?" She snapped at him.

"Yeah but that red light is Liv!" She slammed the brakes as she saw the light change from yellow to red.

"I totally could have made that!" He gave her a look and she noticed he was a little green. She grinned to herself but tried to ease up a bit too. He relaxed into his seat a bit as she calmed down the speed racer routine. It seemed just as he relaxed she tensed. Turning into the drive way she looked over at Fitz,

"I'm not going to waste my breath and say stay here, but just know that whatever he says or does I love you Fitz. Nothing can change that. We are in this together."

"And I won't waste my breath and tell you don't worry. I love you too. We are in this together." He got out of the car and she took a big inhale, he came around to open her door and held out his hand for her and they walked towards the door ready to face the chaos together.


	19. Chapter 19

Her mother opened the door. It was uncharacteristic; normally she would be in her study avoiding making contact with anyone. Olivia normally spent her energy trying to see the differences between herself in her mother, but after everything that happened she looked at the similarities everyone else saw. She saw her own eyes, sadder, or dimmer slightly off from her own but still they were nearly identical. They had the same full lips. Olivia always hated them until Fitz told her how enamored he is by them. If she was being honest they had the same determined walk as well. Her mother looked between Fitz and Olivia. He was leaning in towards her protectively. She took a deep breath.

"Olivia you shouldn't have brought him here. Your father won't be happy." Olivia immediately lost the warmth she felt looking at her mother and was reminded of her indifference.

"I need to talk to him. Besides you've never really cared what's pissed him off in the past." Fitz was a bit shocked by Olivia's tone. It was cutting. Icy.

"I'm trying to protect you both Olivia!" She said in a hushed whisper.

"The only people it need protection from are in this house. Not Fitz."

"I know that Olivia. That's why he shouldn't be here." Her mother shook her head at her child's thick headedness. It was her own trait and she despised seeing it in her eldest and youngest children. Maya knew her husband was ruthless. He would kill this boy if he thought it would serve his purpose. He nearly had already. She hadn't spent more than an hour in the company and Olivia and Fitz but she could see that this man loved her child and she knew Olivia was irrevocably irreparable in love with him. It was clear in the looks they exchanged. It was more than loving glances it was a conversation between partners. He stood to protect her but with pushing her behind him and making her small. She briefly hoped she would get to see more of their relationship but she knew she needed to keep her distance from her children to keep them safe from the monster that was her husband.

She had once admired his calculating brain and ambitious nature. When he was a grunt it was appealing and it made her fall in love with him. She knew it wasn't like what her child had found and she was grateful. What she had found had quickly evolved into a constant bargain and exchange. As soon as Eli gained power he turned into a monster she couldn't love anymore. Fitz would keep Olivia from becoming the monster that her father was. His love would ground her and keep her steady without making her weak.

The opposite had been true of Maya and Eli. His love made her soar but he made her feel weak like she needing protecting not because he loved her and wanted to keep her safe but because she couldn't do it herself. There was a huge difference between the two. One was out of love the other was control. Eli may have total control of her and her children but it wouldn't last much longer. Olivia would never now down to him. She won't give up her life and make her mother's mistakes. Her oldest children will take over the business but they have very little of their father in them. After a long pause where Olivia could tell her mother's mind was racing she finally stepped aside and let them in. They followed her into the foyer and she stopped.

"Olivia I'm just going to remind you what my mother always said. Always hold the ace for last. And I'll add my own little piece of wisdom don't give that man more information than he needs." Olivia was stunned into silence but she absorbed everything her mother had said. She nodded at her mother indicating she heard and listened to what she had to say. "He's in his office. Please come see me before you leave." With that she walked into the hallway towards her study leaving Olivia stunned and Fitz concerned.

She gave Fitz a look then headed off to her fathers office. She knocked and entered with Fitz following closely behind her. She stood in front of her father's desk waiting for him to look up.

"I'm surprised you're here. I figured you would have taken that boy and gone back to Providence to enjoy your last few months there." He didn't bother looking up as he spoke but Olivia could see his face. Just as she noticed a change in her mother's appearance the same occurred with her father. His glare was predatory not protective. His eyes were cold but crazed. He scared her a bit, but she wouldn't let it stop her.

"That's why I came here." He looked up. "I need to know why. Why let me leave in such a dramatic way only to force my hand to get me to come back. Why risk my life? To be able to do what I need to do I have to understand."

"I will not explain myself to you Olivia. You are my child. I made you therefore you answer to me. Not the other way around. You will come home. You will not ask questions. You will leave him behind and you will do as I say."

"What makes you think I will do that? Leave the life I made. Leave Fitz?"

"Because I'm not giving you a choice. This little aberration," he gestured to Fitz, "will end the same way it began."

"You know nothing about my relationship with Fitz. I love him." Fitz beamed with pride as she spoke to her father. Olivia knew that her father wouldn't care if she loved Fitz or not but his assumptions about them made her crazy. Her father got a crazy grin, he looked at Fitz and saw a smug arrogant man that hadn't worked for a damn thing in his life and if infuriated him.

"She doesn't love you. She loves what you represent. You are a door-marked exit. Because as long as she's with you she doesn't have to be the formidable Olivia Pope. I made her. I know everything and I'm right about this." It was Fitz turn to laugh at him. Any amount of respect he had for her father was gone along with the pretense of it. "She is the formidable beautiful strong and brilliant Olivia pope. My presence doesn't change that. So you're wrong with or without me she won't come back. Having her in my life is just a bonus." Her father's expression didn't change.

"You're both fools then. I expected better of you Olivia." She looked at her and she knew she was being dismissed. She didn't bother trying to get in the last word, she simply looked at Fitz and he knew it was time for them to go. It was time to talk to her mother.

Olivia managed to get out of the office and into the hallway before her lip started quivering and her eyes swelled. She walked down the hall and faced the wall forehead leaning into it. Fitz was so used to his strong brave Livvy it was devastating that this kept happening the longer they were here.

"Livvy look at me." She imperceptibly shook her head no. His voice got commanding, "Look at me!" She took a deep breath and turned around, but she didn't meet his eyes. For the first time in her life she was scared to death. Her whole world had been completely turned on its axis. With a new perspective on her father she was questioning every interaction with him and by extension her mother. How could her instincts been so off. Her gut, her damned gut that she always put so much faith in it, but it was worthless now.

"Do not let him get into your head Livvy. You know who you are, you know what we are to each other, and so do it." Neither of them saw her mother around the corner, but she spoke up when she got closer.

"He's right, Liv, don't ever question who you are. Not for him, not for anyone." Olivia stood in shock. She had Fitz arms wrapped around her and her mother of all people was trying to reassure her. She had barely had time to figure out what happened in the last two days, and every time she wrapped her head around one thing another came and made her feel like she was falling to tread water.

"Olivia will you come talk to me? Both of you if you want Liv." It was the first time in years her mother had called her Liv. Both her parents had said that we were to go by our given names, which made them take even greater joy in giving each other nicknames.

"Are you asking or summoning?" She shook her head exhausted at her relationship with her children.

"I am asking." Olivia gave her a nod of approval and she and Fitz followed Maya into her office on the other side of the house. Fitz had a somewhat optimistic look on his face, but Olivia refused to get her hopes up. Her parents wouldn't disappoint her anymore. She wouldn't allow it. They brought her into this world and provided for her, but giving them any more credit than that would be a lie. She tried for a half smile at Fitz, but it looked like more of a grimace. He linked their fingers together, but just barely as they crossed into her mother's study.


	20. Chapter 20

Olivia looked around and found that nothing had really changed. Her mother's office was still sparse, Spartan. There was a plain desk, similar to the one in her own office. Maya went behind her desk, but pulled out her chair so she was next to it, not behind it. To her it seemed less intimidating, although Olivia didn't intimidate, it seemed like a good idea not to appear as if she were trying. Fitz sat down on the love seat in the room, but Olivia was frozen by the door. She looked as if she were about to sink down the wall and on to the floor, her and her mother both looked at Fitz silently begging him to do something. It killed Maya that her daughter was in so much pain, and it was beyond her what to do. Her own mother could have, Claudia or Michael would have been able to, but she was at a complete loss. Fitz caught identically helpless looks in mother and daughter.

"Livvy come sit down, I'm here. You'll be okay." He gave her mother a wary look, but she nodded at him. He got up and walked over to Olivia. He grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear. Maya couldn't really tell what it was, but Olivia seemed to calm a bit and moved into the office and sat down with Fitz. She let go of his hand, but she sat as close to him as possible. Olivia felt so beaten down she held on to the one constant that she had left after the past few days. Fitz was in shock at her behavior, once again he felt scared he was going to lose her. He and Olivia were always touching in some way, even if they were laying on the couch, she would be tucked into his side or have her legs thrown over his, but she was clinging to him now. It was different. She shrunk in the presence of her parents.

Maya watched their interaction, she would be eternally grateful for Fitzgerald Grant. Not only had he literally saved her daughter's life, but he was holding her together now. She could see that a few words from Fitz and Olivia's demeanor changed.

"Olivia… Liv. I don't even know where to start. I guess I should start by saying that I've failed you as a mother, but you're already aware of that. What you need to know is that I intend to help you get out of this. You deserve the life you've built with Fitz, the one I was too scared to keep. I could explain that I resented you kids for representing my failures in getting away or I could say I was afraid I'd lose you all to the business, like I lost my brother, but it doesn't sound good enough. What I did… Am doing, I don't expect you to ever look at me as a parent or a mother and that's not what I'm asking for Olivia. What I am asking for is selfish. I am asking for a second chance to have someone get away. I know what I am saying doesn't make sense to you, and that's my fault to. I never showed you who I am, well I did, but not the person I want you to see, not the person I really am. I just… I see you two together and I saw you when you got here Olivia you look different, happy isn't even a good enough of a word for it. I want that for you. I want you to finish school and change the world, because you can. I know you have no reason to trust me. If you need my help, or want it, I'm here. This isn't me asking to be a part of your life, this isn't that. I just regret my choices so completely, I would never want that to happen to you. Claudia and Michael, they're happy doing this, living like this, and that's great, but you are different. I know who your father is in contact with and I have a lot of people that are more loyal to me and your brother than they are to him. We will end this for you." Olivia sat in shock, that may have been the most her mother had said to her in years. She wanted to believe her, that she was being honest. It was terrifying, she ignored her gut, it was no longer trustworthy. Her plan was to tell her as much. Fitz sat quietly waiting for Olivia to make the first move. Maya had just said all the things he longed to hear from his own parents, but never would. The part of him that should be envious was filled with relief that Olivia's mother wasn't going to attack her.

"Yesterday you sat next to Da… Him and told me, all of us, that the two of you are a united front. Now you're telling me you want to help. How am I supposed to trust you?"

"You're not and you won't, because my mother and my behavior taught you not to," Olivia interrupted her,

"Don't! Don't act like she turned me against you. She was all I had! She taught me everything I ever needed to know." Olivia's lip was quivering again. Fitz left her alone, knowing touching her would bring more tears and she wouldn't want that.

"That's not what I meant. I loved her too Olivia, you and your siblings seem to keep forgetting that. She taught you everything she taught me, and trusting an unknown element was not something she would have taught you. But you trust your brother and he trusts my guys. They will help you. I wont interfere. I don't expect you to tell me what you're planning, don't bother telling me you're not, you've had your gladiator face on since you got here. Like I said you don't have to tell me what your plan is, but I will tell you his."

"Even if you did want to help me, to reclaim a piece of your own freedom, or make up for being a cold distant ice bitch my whole life, why would you risk your own safety. Self preservation will always be your first priority," When she saw her mother raise her eyebrows she explained, "Grams didn't always teach me good things, she taught me some selfish things too."

"Without me your father has no power. It's my family's business, people haven't forgotten that, no matter how much power he appears, its connected to me."

"I don't know. We can do this without you, and we will. Letting you help would make it easier, but riskier."

"I know that, let me earn your trust. I'll talk to him tonight, gather information, what his plans are and I will bring the information to you guys tonight."

"No," Maya's face dropped. Even Fitz, was surprised, it wasn't like Olivia to give up on anyone. "I mean not tonight. Tomorrow, come meet us for breakfast, we are staying at the Sheridan. Lobby at nine. I'm taking Fitz on a date tonight."

"Don't you think this is more…" Fitz was interrupted by two identical voices.

"No." They both said at the same time. Olivia was shocked, but her and her mother broke out in similar smiles, Olivia's was a little more reserved than normal, but both smiles hit their eyes.

"You guys should go and have fun." Olivia nodded.

"It's not easy at home, we, he's, it's complicated." Olivia put her head down, not really knowing if she should tell her mother or even how, her mother looked concerned, but didn't ask.

Maya was struck when she called Providence home, but she chided herself. She shouldn't be surprised.

"You don't owe me any explanations. I'll be there tomorrow morning."

Olivia was relieved, if the time came to explain things to her mother, it helped to know that she didn't feel like she had to. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders, having her mother's help, even if she didn't trust her yet, was a relief she couldn't quite explain. Like if her mother was there she didn't need to make the tough choices. There was still a lot of distrust and confusion about her Mother's part in all of this, but it was something to hold onto, that maybe she didn't have to lose both her parents.

Fitz looked to Olivia, not really sure what to do next in the awkward pause in between, but she looked equally at a loss.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Pope, but they're expecting us back soon. I don't want to get on your son's bad side." Fitz gave her the most charming smile he could manage, still not really sure how to approach this woman. Her similarities to his Livvy disarmed him, but his knowledge that she wasn't as kind or warm as Olivia gave him pause.

"That's probably wise, and it's Maya." She smiled at him, she was so happy Olivia had found someone like him, she didn't particularly care about the particulars of the relationship, she trusted her daughter's judgment.

Olivia stood awkwardly as she looked her mother up and down,

"Thanks Mom, I'll see you tomorrow." Maya just nodded standing and looking at Olivia in a similar manner, not really sure what to do, she wanted to hug her, but she didn't think Olivia would let her. Her mother walked them to the front door and held it open for them. Fitz stopped and held his hand out palm up to Olivia reaching for the keys.

"What?"

"Keys Livvy!"

"What no! You don't know where you're going."

"Keys!" They stared each other down for half a minute as Maya watched amused. Olivia caught the look on her mother's face.

"Seriously? You're on his side aren't you?"

"Olivia you got my car impounded because you were driving too fast!" Her mothers admonished her, but it was clear she was amused.

"That was a long time ago!" Her mother just glared.

"Michael was with me!" No change.

"Who lets their sixteen year old drive their McLaren?" Olivia asked laughing at the memory.

"If I recall I let me twenty six year old drive my car and you some how convinced him to let you drive it."

"Oh yeah." She said remembering her begging and lip quivering at Michael, she only had her license for a month, but she convinced him to let her drive it anyway.

"I should have known better, he was never able to say no to either one of you."

"Do I even want to know how you managed to not get arrested and have your license taken away?" Fitz looked between the two of them.

"No." They both said laughing at the same time. Olivia relented and handed the keys to Fitz.

"If we get lost it's your fault!"

"Okay Magellan wagons west." They exchanged goodbyes and were off back to the hotel.

Fitz looked over at Olivia she was smiling and looking out the window.

"You look happy Livvy." She turned to look at him,

"I am, I have you and Claudia and Huck and I'm going to see Cammie tonight. And I have a hot date with my hot man."

"And your Mom." Her face darkened.

"Better not cross me." Fitz was shocked at her tone.

"Liv…"

"No Fitz, laughing and reminiscing with her was nice, don't get me wrong, I want her on our team, but I don't trust her. I can't. She's not my mom, she's my mother and I don't trust her yet." He was relieved to hear her say 'yet' because it meant she still had some hope.

"I get that Livvy, I just, I see you happy around her and your siblings, and that makes me happy."

"You also see me shrink myself to be around them."

"I do, and it kills me, but maybe they can be separate people. They don't have to be a package deal."

"I hope not, but until then, the only people I trust are right here and waiting for me back in the hotel."


	21. Chapter 21

Olivia was fiddling with the radio, trying to find something other than country. She was about to make a comment about Kansas radio when she looked up and realized Fitz wasn't headed the right way. Rolling her eyes she thought 'this is why I should have drove!'

"Fitz you need to make a U-turn and go the other way on this street." She tried to maintain the illusion of patience.

"This is the way to the mall right?"

"Yeah, wait why?"

"You want to swim, but you don't have a suit."

"Bee it's October in Kansas, they're not going to have any. It's fine."

"No, it's not. It helps you relax and blow off steam and you need that right now."

"I really…" He interrupted her.

"Livvy we're going, you're going to get distracted by looking at impossibly high heels, you'll buy some and wear some tonight and drive me crazy. In the mean time I will buy you the smallest bikini I can find. Deal?" She glared at him, hating to not get her way, but she can't exactly disagree with his plan. "You might as well stop glaring at me because it's going to happen and if you keep looking at me like that people will think I kidnapped you." She finally leaned back into her seat.

"You are such a mess." She said laughing.

"I'm your mess. You're stuck with me." He grabbed her hand and gave it a sloppy kiss. She leaned back into her seat, he was determined to take care of her, like always she would let him. She really did want to put in some laps, and a new pair of heels would be nice too. He caught her attention as she was thinking about what she could get away with wearing tonight.

"Is this the right way?"

"Yeah, wait how did you know that?"

"Google maps." He gave her a proud grin.

"You were planning on handling me this whole time weren't you!" She gave him a dirty look, realizing this was his plan all morning.

"Not handle. You handle, I take care of you. Someone needs to, besides shoes and a bikini was for good news, the book store was for bad."

"Fitz you don't have to do this. I am sure you're as shell-shocked as I am if not more. I always knew this was a possibility, you didn't."

"For now I'll focus on you, I'll worry about processing everything else later."

"What if when you process you realize what a selfish person I am?" He was shocked. He thought about pulling over the car so he could look her in the eyes, but they were in traffic. He pulled into a parking lot and unbuckled his seat belt and hers. He pulled her into his lap despite the console and steering wheel.

"Is that what you're worried about? Livvy, this whole time all you've thought about is me and your siblings and your parents, the one person you haven't worried about is yourself. I've been watching you drive yourself crazy, I don't think you're selfish. No one does. Michael and Claudia have been jumping to help you in anyway they can because they love you. I've been trying to take care of you because I love you." She shook her head at him, he didn't understand.

"You shouldn't be here."

"There's no where else."

"Having you here its…"

"What tell me? Because right now you know what I think Olivia," he was getting angry. He thought she was going to run, go back to living in Kansas, follow her father's plan. He thought she was going to leave him. "I think you don't want me here because it would make it easier for you to go back. Do what your father wants, be with Stephan, run the business! Whatever his plan is, it would be easier for you to deal with if I wasn't here."

"What?" That's not what she meant at all, it killed her that he thought she would run from him, after everything they had been through even before the shooting.

"You heard me Olivia, is that what you want? Because I didn't think it was, I thought you love me, but you're pushing me away, you're sitting over there thinking and you don't talk to me."

"I want you Fitz. I love you. I don't ever want you to doubt that. When I tell you I'm being selfish, its not because I don't want you here or I want to go back. I couldn't make it through this without, I wouldn't come back, I wouldn't stay in school, I would shut down. I would leave and hide and I would lose myself. I am selfish because even though every fiber of my being tells me that this isn't safe and you could get hurt, hell you already have gotten hurt, I still want and need you here. All I've been thinking about on this car ride is what I'm going to wear tonight, well that and why the radio stations here are only country. I swear to you Fitz, we are in this together, here and back home. I know I don't say it enough, but I love you." She held his face in her hands needing him to know exactly what she was feeling and thinking and letting him look into her eyes was the best way she knew to do that. Fitz exhaled finally. She was desperate for him to say or do something. He pulled her into his chest and just held on for dear life. After both had calmed down he picked his head up from the top of hers.

"So your outfit tonight…"

"I was thinking very short." She gave him a glance that promised to drive him insane. A smile lit up his face and he ran his hands down to settle on her ass.

"Good thinking. But first I want to get you into the pool, and definitely the hot tub after that." His hands started roaming her legs. She reveled in his touch a little longer before she placed herself back into her seat. He gave a moan when she got up, she reminded him they had some shopping to do before they could follow through on any of their plans. He started the car back up and headed to one of the larger stores in the mall.

"Where's the Bloomingdales?"

"We don't have those here."

"Oh okay, how about Saks?"

"Nope."

"Niemen Marcus?" He was concerned now, those were really the only department stores Olivia went to.

"Negatory."

"Seriously? Where did that shoe obsession of yours come from and where do you buy stuff?"

"Man sometimes I forget you grew up in a country club, just park at Nordstrom's. We can go in through there." Fitz directed the car to where she pointed but gave the store a wary look.

"My mother used to say Nordstrom's was for new money, I've never been in one."

"Well it's the nicest department store in the state so you'll have to buck up, trust me. I spent many an afternoon in this store as a teenager. I mean most of it was spent trying to sneak off to the bookstore without Claudia or Grams noticing, but I still broke in my first credit card pretty well. We used to love driving the sales women crazy. They would assume we were just kids messing around, than I'd pull out a wad of cash and they would be ready to kiss our feet." He laughed at her story thinking about what his Livvy must have been like as a teenager, such a force, refusing to take crap from anyone.

"As long as we can find you a swim suit it'll be my favorite."

They walked into the store hand in hand, again taking advantage that they didn't have to hide. Olivia immediately walked in and found the shoes; sales women quickly swarmed them. They started flirting with Fitz, Olivia had gotten used to it. In the beginning it would annoy her or make her worry, especially since they had to keep everything a secret, but she quickly saw how uncomfortable it made him and she started to enjoy watching him squirm. After a few minutes she took pity on him,

"Hey Fitz?"

"Yep!" He was relieved.

"Did you want to run off and get those swim suits while I find something for tonight." He didn't really want to leave her side, but she was giving him an out and there were a few things he wanted to pick up for her before tonight.

"I'm on it." He gave her a quick kiss and walked away as fast as he could. She laughed as she saw the women's faces fall and they wandered away.

Immediately she searched out the sale rack, not that she had to, but because she was just too logical to not look for a bargain. She found a pair a few pairs she liked and brought them over to the counter and went up stairs to find something to wear on her date. She was trying on a cream colored Burberry trench coat when she saw Fitz coming up behind her with a big goofy grin. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and met her eyes in the mirror.

"It looks beautiful." He told her before he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It is isn't it?" she was smoothing out the invisible wrinkles on the sleeves. He watched her and he knew she loved the coat, but would never buy something so extravagant without thinking about longer.

"So is this the size you want?"

"Yeah…" she said a little dreamily, "wait what no." She immediately started taking it off. He knew she never used her father's money and wanted to never have to. She had a huge college fund that she didn't end up using due to an academic scholarship. She paid for her car and apartment with it and used her inheritance from her Grandparents for everything else. He knew her family had money even before he knew how, but she always said she wouldn't take money from her parents, it was just one more way for them to control her, she would tell him. He took the coat from her, put it on the hanger and threw it over his arm.

"This stuff yours too?" Fitz pointed at several bags near her feet. Olivia looked down and grinned a little sheepishly.

"Yeah, I figured I don't really have to worry about over packing, plus it was all on sale!" He laughed at her, knowing she was enjoying them being out together and shopping without being nervous.

"Exactly so what's one more?" He gestured to the coat.

"Because that coat cost nearly what some people would pay for a car. Stop being a bad influence! Besides I see you're empty handed, no luck."

"Plenty but I put the stuff I got back in the car so that I had my hands free." He winked at her as he grabbed her bags with one hand and grazed her ass with the other.

"Patience Fitz!" Olivia's neck was getting a little red as she looked around to make sure none of the uppity customers or sales women noticed. He pulled her in closer,

"I'll stop if you let me buy you that coat."

"I don't want you to stop, I just want to relocate." She grinned up at him. Fitz was distracted by what the gleam in her eyes promised, the dropped the coat. He pulled her in and kissed her. She threaded he arms around his waist and worked them up into his curls. His hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her closer to him. They were both smiling between kisses, Olivia let out a small giggle when she felt his hand working down her back to her ass. They broke apart rather quickly when they heard someone cough and clear their throat. Olivia was bright red, but Fitz was grinning down at her. They looked over and saw the woman that made the noise. She was older and clearly annoyed by their behavior.

"Do you plan on buying that?" She asked them with an attitude, given that the cream colored coat was on the floor near their feet, her tone wasn't completely unprovoked. Fitz jumped to answer before she had the chance to say no.

"Yep, we will take it!" The sales woman walked away to begin ringing it up, clearly less irritated than before.

"Fitz!"

"I dropped it all over the ground I cant expect them to sell it now can I?"

"Oh such a boy scout. Fitz it's too much!"

"I am! And its fun to buy you something since you always fight me, especially something you look so beautiful in." She was still glaring at him. "Besides I can't wait to see you in it and nothing else." He whispered in her ear and gave it a quick nip. As soon as he made contact with her ear she melted. She no longer cared about the coat all she wanted to do was get him back to their hotel room.

"Deal!" Fitz did a fist pump and she started laughing at him. "You're shameless!" He had to agree. He was shameless when it came to her. They walked to the check counter hand and hand.

He wouldn't let her look in the truck when they made it back to the car.

"I still have a few tricks up my sleeve for tonight, even if its your turn to plan the date."


	22. Chapter 22

**That last episode killed me! It left me with a need to write, but writer's block too. It was just a mess. This season is killing me! Okay rant over… **

Olivia had been texting back and fourth with Claudia, Michael, and Huck for most of the morning hoping that they got some kind of information. Abby had called a few times while they were shopping. Olivia called her back and Abby told her all about the concert and her time with David, Olivia stopped her before things got too detailed. Fitz was chuckling when he heard Olivia say, "Stop! Too much information, No… Oh my god, Mary had a little lamb! I'm hanging up now!" She gave Fitz a dirty look for laughing at her and resumed texting.

"Any information?"

"You mean about my father or about David's big thick…"

"Liv!" Olivia busted out laughing at the expression on his face.

"I'm just saying after that little conversation with Abby I could give you a police sketch."

"Do you… uhm… does she…"

"Spit it out dear."

"Do you tell her the sort of things that she tells you?" He looked really concerned, he wasn't a prude, and the idea of Olivia talking about their sex life was incredibly sexy, but it was still awkward.

"Oh god no!"

"Why not?" Olivia rolled her eyes at him because of how quickly his tone had changed from one of awkwardness to insult.

"All our neighbors know exactly what goes on in that apartment, I don't need Abby knowing too." Fitz face showed pride as he smirked at her. "Besides I don't want to hear about David's little friend and if I'm sitting there bragging about your moves it would be hard for me to feign prudishness."

"Little friend Liv really?"

"Abby's words not mine, but apparently he knows how to use it." He glared at her, "I'm just repeating what I hear!"

"I don't think I want to hear you talking about anyone's friends but mine!" Olivia looked at his scandalized face and decided to take pity on him.

"Well yours is really the only one I want to discuss so I think we can work that out." She started running her hands up and down his thigh while he was driving.

"Livvy…"

"Fitz?"

"Behave for the next fifteen minutes please."

"And if I don't?" She started moving her hand higher.

"Don't make me pull over this car Livvy!" He had a look in his eyes that told her he was serious so she gave him and break and kept her hands to herself for the rest of the ride to the hotel.

Fitz insisted on dropping Olivia off with Claudia before he would take the bags out of the trunk and into their room, wanting to maintain his surprise. When Fitz finally made it upstairs Claudia and Olivia had their heads together discussing their plans for tonight, it was clear that Olivia hadn't mentioned what their mother said but he wasn't going to push her. He figured it was between her and her siblings. He walked in with the bags behind his back and stuff a bag into the closet. After finding the bag he was looking for he tossed it on the bed.

"You guys wanna do some laps?" He threw a bag from a store Olivia hadn't heard of. She looked at Fitz,

"I may have gone overboard." The bag had five different swimsuits in it, not including four more pairs of trunks Olivia assumed was for himself, Huck and Michael. Claudia looked stunned, but Olivia was used to him going overboard.

"Maybe later, you guys should go though, it is technically still your vacation."

"Its not a vacation unless I am on a beach with a mai tai or better yet with an embarrassingly large glass of wine." Olivia replied bitterly. They weren't planning on going out of town, but she was excited to walk on the beach in the fall and lay in bed with Fitz all day reading and watching TV, this was definitely not what she was hoping for. Fitz looked at his watch, it was only ten,

"Well it's a little early for me to find you some wine, would you settle for a swim and the promise of a whole bottle later?"

"You're spoiling her!"

"I'll get you both a bottle."

"Much better." Olivia was enjoying Fitz and Claudia's banter, thankful that they seemed to really like each other. There was a knock on the door, they all assumed was either Michael or Huck. Olivia went to open the door, but instead of one of her family members she found a bellhop from the hotel holding the most ostentatious display of flowers she had ever seen. Olivia let him in and let him set them down. Claudia was giving Olivia a confused look as she stared at the flowers nervously.

"Fitz those are beautiful, that's so sweet!" Claudia said shocked at her sister's response to the display of affection.

"They're not from Fitz."

"You didn't even open the cards!" She looked at Fitz waiting for him to agree with her. Olivia was irritated, her sister was being so obtuse, it wasn't like her.

"They aren't from me. Livvy hates flowers, I brought them on our first real date and she asked me 'why I would kill something beautiful, just to watch it die', plus roses make her sneeze." Olivia gave him a small smile, thankful that he knew her so well, she never mentioned roses make her sneeze, but he had noticed anyway.

"God, you are such a lunatic sometimes! He brought you flowers and you lectured him!?"

"She gave me that gladiator voice and face too." Fitz told her pretending to pout, really he thought it was adorable and sexy that she didn't flowers and didn't have a problem telling him what she thought, it was just one more way she was special.

"Guys seriously can we have mock Liv time later and focus on this shit show?"

"You sure they aren't from Dad?" Olivia gave her a look. "Okay not from Dad. There's a card, just calm down and read the card." Olivia still looked scared and frozen. She knew she was probably overreacting, but the last few days have made her wary surprises even more than before. Fitz walked over and grabbed the card, his face immediately showed rage and he crumpled the card in his hand. Seeing that look it immediately clicked in her head who would send them. Fitz had the same expression he had whenever Jake would ask to borrow her notes from class. Stephan.

"Rat bastard," Olivia burst out, "what did it say?" Fitz just handed her the note, she straightened it out and read it out loud in her most sarcastic voice.

"Liv, see you soon, all my love Stephan. What the fuck is wrong with him! He's delusional! I haven't spoken to him in three years, and before that… ugh what was I thinking!?" Olivia was torn between being angry that Stephan would be presumptuous enough to send her flowers and that he clearly put Fitz in a bad mood ruining their day. She looked between Claudia and Fitz. Fitz looked ready to kill someone with his bare hands and Claudia looked amused.

"Fitz, I am so sorry, I don't… I cant… He's… I don't even know what he was thinking."

"Its fine Olivia." She was shocked, he never called her Olivia unless he was mad or they were in class, even in class it was mostly Liv.

"Claudia can you give us a minute?" Olivia asked her.

"You shouldn't let this ruin your day, I am sure that was his intention." With that she walked out the door, figuring she would let them solve their own issues. Claudia figured Olivia should have expected Stephan to pull something, sending flowers was the bare minimum of foolish actions he would try.

Fitz's hands were still clenched in fists, his ears were bright red and his eyes were stormy and angry.

"Olivia?"

"That's your name isn't it?"

"Seriously Fitz? Everything that's happened the last few days and your mad because I have a jackass for an ex boyfriend?"

"No! No! I understand you have a past. I can deal with that. What I am having a hard time dealing with is why you had to go to him for help? And now these? I should kick his ass!"

"I just… I don't know! Okay! I knew he could help, I didn't think past that, clearly I should have, or you should have spoken up and said you didn't want me to. I would have listened!"

"You wouldn't have listened to anyone! You've been yelling out orders for the past two days! You haven't breathed or listened to anyone, you don't sleep or eat! And I am trying to keep you standing so I am not going to get into your way, but now he crossed the line."

"So that's what this is about, your not mad at him for sending me flowers you know I don't want or like, your mad at me for not being able to hold it together?"

"Of course not Livvy, come here!" She stood at the other side of the room still angry at him, not giving into him that easily. "Please." She finally looked at him and saw that pain on his face, she made eye contact with him, but refused to go closer to him.

"It should be me!" he yelled at her. He was running his hands through his curls and pacing back and fourth. He never used to pace, she figured he'd gotten it from her. She was always moving around.

"Fitz, calm down, what do you mean?"

"I should be the one that can help you, but I can't. All I can do is sit here and try to make you sleep and eat and distract you, but I can't really do anything. It kills me Livvy to see you in this much pain and there's nothing for me to do about it."

"Oh Fitz, you're doing everything!" She went to him finally understanding how he felt, because she felt the same way when he was shot, seeing him in pain and not being able to do anything about it just about killed her, of course he would feel the same. He looked at her with broken eyes, she grabbed his hands so that he would stop running them through his hair. "We have to stop this, you need to tell me how you feel and I do too. We can't keep getting upset over the same thing. I need you Fitz. More than anyone else. I could do this without Michael and Claudia and even Huck, I could find someone else to get me information, it would hurt but I could. I can't find another you, to feed me and hold me when I sleep and distract me, that's just you. So please don't put all of this on yourself, and I will try not to too. I'll even take a nap after a few laps okay? And maybe when this is done you can kick Stephan's ass." She smirked at him as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Can I borrow your tire iron?"

"Of course."


	23. Chapter 23

They spent the next few hours swimming in the indoor pool until they were both exhausted and water logged. Olivia tried to get a few laps in, but kept getting distracted by Fitz. Every time she finished a lap he would demand a kiss, a demand she was willing to give into, but it quickly escalated to her swimming a few feet than rushing back into his arms. After realizing trying to get a real workout in wasn't going to happen they floated around in the deep end holding on to each other and doing flips and twists in the water, acting like a couple of kids. Fitz was reaching around and playing with the strings on the back of her bikini when she realized they needed to stop and head inside before they had another run in like the one in the store.

Fitz wrapped her in a towel and put one low around his hips as she rolled her eyes at his boldness. He grabbed the rest of their stuff and walked her towards the elevator, never letting her hand go. Before the elevator even made it to the first floor Olivia was shivering and getting impatient for it to move faster as it kept stopping to let people on and off. She was curled up in Fitz's side waiting for it to move when it finally emptied. For the first time since they had checked in she regretted picking a floor so high up.

When they finally stopped at their floor she began fishing for the key card still snuggled into Fitz's side. As the doors opened she stopped and moved away from him a bit.

"Hey guys…" Olivia said awkwardly, it had just occurred to her that while she and Fitz were messing around in the pool without a care in the world the rest of her family were locked in Huck's room trying to solve her problem. She instantly felt guilty. Claudia was smiling brightly at them, clearly not put out, Michael looked awkward she had found them in what probably seemed like an intimate moment, but Huck just looked stressed.

"Hey, we need to run out an handle a few things," Michael clearly wasn't going to go into further detail without knowing how many ears were present, "we should be back soon. I will drop Cammie off here too. I assume she doesn't know the plans for tonight?"

"Nope, I bought her an outfit though so she's all set."

"Interestingly enough Liv that wasn't my first concern. She knows she can't like tweetogrambook pictures and stuff of you guys right?"

"Oh my god Michael you are not old enough to get away with being that anti technology!"

"Liv!"

"Yes. Of course."

"Fine we will be back around dinner, text me if you hear or think of anything." She nodded at him, knowing she needed to tel them about their mother but now clearly wasn't the time. She was just ready to be alone with Fitz, the whole time his hands had been wandering lower and lower on her back until he was giving her ass a few taps and squeezes.

They exchanged places, Fitz and Olivia getting off into the hallway and the other three entering the elevator as it made its way back to the lobby. Once the door closed she finally looked at him. He had a big proud smirk on his face. He knew from the redness creeping up her neck he had gotten to her.

"Keep looking at me like that and tonight will bring a new and fun kind of torture!" He immediately brought his hands up in surrender, having already experienced what she was like when she was trying to get a raise out of him. It wasn't as if it took much to begin with, but when she put any effort into it at all he was a mess.

When they got into the room she was facing away from him, but he quickly pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms securely around her and started kissing her neck. They started out soft and sweet but got more eager when he started to use his tongue, she threw her head back to rest on his chest. She turned around in his arms and pressed her body against his, she knowing now would be the only time they were guaranteed not to be interrupted by family members. Both towels dropped to the floor, but neither bothered to pick them up as they made their way to the bed. Both were still wet from the pool and smelled like chlorine, but neither noticed or cared, they were too wrapped up in each other. The back of Olivia's legs hit the bed and she fell onto it pulling Fitz down with her. All of the concerns about her mother and father, even Stephan, all their worries were gone for the moments that they were connected this way. Fitz removed her top and began kissing her breasts and working his hands downward to take off the last barrier between them. She raked her fingers through his wet hair pulling him closer. No matter how close they got they would always crave more of each other.

The relationship they shared was often very cerebral, they found themselves arguing about things like literature or politics where they both challenged each other, but as attracted as they were to each others minds, they also lusted for one another in a way that made it difficult to be in the same room without touching, even if it was a hand on the small of her back or their bodies connecting intimately, they needed each other. It may have been spurred on by the distance they had to keep at home, but she would never tire of playing with his curls and he would never stop loving the feeling of her legs thrown over his lap.

Later they found themselves still laying in the bed. Olivia had her head on his abdomen while he played with her still damp curls. He told her try for a nap and she was failing miserably at any attempts. She rolled onto her side to look at him, holding a book in one hand and playing with her hair with the other. Shirtless, with a head full of messy curls, and his glasses low on his nose, she couldn't get over how beautiful he was. After a few minutes he noticed her staring,

"You're supposed to be sleeping." He gave her a disapproving look.

"You distracted me." She kissed his chest unabashed by the look he was giving her. She looked up at him and wrinkled her nose, "you stink!" she said to an appalled Fitz.

"You're the one that got me all sweaty!"

"No loser, I mean you smell like the pool! We need to shower I'm sure I smell too!" She began sniffing her arm and wrinkling her nose more.

"If you wanted to take a shower together all you had to do was ask!" he pulled her into his arms and threw her and half the blankets from the bed over his shoulder and headed into the bathroom. She was kicking her legs, this wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

"That's not what I meant!" She told him sternly. He placed her down gently on her feet pouting. "Fitz…"

"I was promised a naked week Livvy." He lowered his voice to his most seductive tone, he knew she couldn't say no when he spoke that way.

"Well I wouldn't want to back out of a promise," she dropped the blankets around her feet and stood there letting him look up and down her naked body. Smirking as his clear reaction, she told him,

"Better not hog the hot water this time," walking passed him and getting under the spray of the shower. It didn't take him long to come to his senses,

"Don't worry I'll keep you warm!"

They stayed under the water long after it had gone cold, but were enjoying soaping each other up and playing with each other. Fitz insisted they get out when Olivia started shivering. They both wrapped up in the robes the hotel had left in the room. Olivia threw a towel around her hair in hopes it would dry up a bit so she could get it ready for the concert. Fitz was running a towel through his hair and she watched as he stubbornly fought with his curls.

Olivia was checking her phone Fitz looked at her expectantly,

"Any news?"

"A few texts from Abby, but nothing earth shattering, looks like we have more time in our naked bubble." She smiled at him, but her smile was broken by a yawn.

"Well I have a feeling you still could use a nap, and I'm still a few chapters behind you in Game of Thrones." When they first started dating Olivia would read a book and start telling him all about it, knowing he would like it but, often ruining the ending for Fitz, so he had taken to reading the same books at the same time.

"You were a few chapters behind…" she grinned at him sheepishly. While he had taken it up to stop her from ruining the endings or the major conflicts, she had made it into a contest of who could finish it first. She always won, unless she had a test or paper due.

"How far are you!?" He asked her exasperated.

"I finished it last night." She smiled broadly clearly pleased to have thrown him.

"Then I am definitely reading, and you are staying in that robe!"

"But I don't have anything to read now."

"You finished both books? Why am I not surprised? I should have known you weren't sleeping." He was mad at her, but he understood too. She read to get out of her head and into someone else's, now if ever he could understand her desire.

"I can fix that." He pulled away from her, and she gave a sound of disapproval and pulled out one of the bags he'd stuck in the closet. Her eyes immediately went to the familiar cream and green bag from Barnes and Noble's.

After their first date and the flower incident, he brought her a book instead of flowers. He would highlight his favorite part and give it to her before the date. She now had a shelf on her bookcase full of the books that he had given her. Sometimes they were romantic, like when he'd given her his own beat up copy of To Kill a Mockingbird or Pride and Prejudice, other times it was silly when he found her a Harry Potter coloring book, she nearly jumped him for that one. Occasionally he would give her a classic of his that he loved or he would give her a book he thought she might like. It was their thing. She didn't tell Abby or Claudia, but every time she looked at her bookcase her heart raced a little at how well he knew her and cared about what she was interested in.

"I know I should appreciate that you were thoughtful enough to keep up our tradition, but I'm mostly just bummed you went to the bookstore without me." She pouted at him, mostly kidding, but still perturbed, she didn't realize they had added a bookstore to the mall in the time she had been away. He laughed to himself thinking he should have known that that's exactly what her response would be.

"How about I take you tomorrow to that one you always talk about? Will you forgive me?" He gave his best look trying to be apologetic, but both knew it was a ruse. Between the two of them they could spend the day in the smallest of bookstores.

"I guess so." She said brightly, his excursion completely forgiven. He stuck his head in the bag, clearly looking for one particular book. She tapped her foot impatiently, while she felt guilty and awkward when he spent a ridiculous amount of money on her for a coat or a date, she loved the idea of him walking around a bookstore thinking of her and what she would like.

"Okay so I kind of went overboard, don't get mad at me."

"Bee, seriously, unless you've got like a first edition of Chaucer in there, overboard and bookstore don't even belong in the same sentence." They both laughed at her excitement.

"Okay well obviously I haven't read this one yet," he handed her the next Game of Throne book and she grinned wildly not even noticing that he was still pulling books out of the bag, "and this one you always refuse to read, I still remember the rant after we watched the movie, but I promise the book has a happy ending," he handed her Wuthering Heights, "its really beautiful Livvie, besides I cant wait for you to start yelling about Catherine and Heathcliff and comparing them to Elizabeth and Darcy. And just incase you still won't believe me about Wuthering Heights I grabbed something I know you love so I kind of cheated."

He finally pulled out the last book. It was Much Ado About Nothing, they had spent the last weekend watching Joss Whedon's version of it and for the next few days all she could talk about is how its her new favorite and she couldn't believe she never read it. She was grinning madly debating which to start first. He looked concerned like she might not like them, they weren't all that original and thoughtful.

He was a sucker for Wuthering Heights it was his mother's favorite book and it was some how one of the few things that didn't get tainted by her actions. He underlined several parts that made him think of her.

He loved the story of Heathcliff and Catherine and how devastating their love was for each other, but he hoped they would be more like Hareton and Cathy, learning from their parents mistakes to have their own passion. It was pretty appropriate given what they were experiencing at the moment, he wasn't sure she would read it. After they watched the movie one night she cried and got at upset for telling her how excellent it was, she was stuck on the sad ending. He remembered her pacing back and forth, him watching, amazed she could get so passionate about things, from the couch. It was such a turn on, but she her big brown eyes were red and her face tear stained as she ranted that "life sucks enough, why would anyone do this! They didn't even fight for each other or anything and when they had their chance she died? What is that?! Who does this?" He thought about pointing out that literature was supposed to evoke these types of emotions and conversations, but it didn't seem like the time.

She pulled the other two books from his hands and flipped through them to see what if anything he had highlighted. It seemed half of Wuthering Heights was highlighted and there were even some margin notes, Much Ado About Nothing had significantly less, but still several pages had notations in his thin slant. Her eyes welled up a bit; she wasn't a crier, but the amount of thought he put into what she needed touched her today, even more than usual. She looked at him smiling through glassy eyes,

"You did good Bee."

"Does that mean you wont yell at me when you finish it?" He knew she would get upset reading Wuthering Heights, but he thought watching her get all riled up was pretty sexy.

"Am I that bad?" She gave him a curious look, she knew most people didn't like discussions with her because she got too invested, but that was where the fun came from.

"Worse," she looked disappointed, "but I like it, its cute." She rolled her eyes at his calling her cute, but was relieved, most people thought she was too intense, but Fitz fueled the part of her that got invested in things that weren't really all that important. Still holding all three books in her hands she made her way back to the couch thinking about which one she wanted to start first.


	24. Chapter 24

They sat together on the couch, Olivia reading Much Ado About Nothing and giggling occasionally, Fitz reading Game of Thrones and saying "Oh my god!" so often Olivia wasn't startled by it anymore. Fitz had his legs up on the coffee table and Olivia was leaning into his side. Eventually she fell asleep with her head in his lap. When he finally heard her soft breathing he let out a sigh of relief. He turned the tv on softly and rubbed her back, knowing it helped her sleep. She wasn't asleep ten minutes when her phone started buzzing, he tried to reach for it without waking her, trying to silence it but saw Claudia's picture pop up. Knowing it meant there was either an issue or they were back he quickly answered it in a hushed whisper.

"Hello?"

"Fitz? Why are you whispering? Did something happen? Are you in the room? Were coming up!"

"No! Claudia it's fine. Liv is just sleeping for what I'm thinking is the first time in almost two days and I didn't want to wake her."

"Why didn't you just say so, Huck was about to break down the door!" Fitz laughed thinking all he had really done was say hello, but he was glad Olivia had people looking out for her anyway.

"Sorry, so you guys are back?"

"Yeah we got our own cars and returned the rental and Cammie is with us. How long has she been sleeping?"

"About fifteen minutes. Do you want me to wake her, I'm sure she will want to see Cammie." He looked down at her sleeping and stroked her hair she had a relaxed look on her face for the first time in two days and he hoped Claudia would say no.

"Let her sleep, she's a bitch when you wake her up, although she will be mad we didn't wake her when Cammie got here…" Claudia paused weighing her options, "No definitely let her sleep, she looks like crap." Fitz laughed relieved, wanting to disagree and say she always looked beautiful, even jet lagged, stressed and exhausted.

"Sleep it is, I'll tell her to give you a call when she wakes up so you can tell her though."

"Wuss."

"When it comes to her, definitely. She's terrifying." They both laughed.

"Yeah all five feet of her. Talk to you later." Fitz hung up, placing the phone on the floor so if it rang again it wouldn't wake her. She was normally a pretty deep sleeper, but he didn't want to jinx it.

Olivia was surprised to find herself alone and in bed, Fitz knew she hated waking up alone, and tried his best not to let that happen if he could help it. She stretched out on the bed reaching for the other pillows and finding that the spot next to her hadn't cooled yet, he couldn't have gone far she thought. Pulling off the covers she realized she must have fallen asleep in the robe she was wearing after her shower, but it was in a pile on the floor next to her bed. She knew Fitz wouldn't have taken it off of her while she was sleeping; she must have done it in her sleep. She always got hot, it drove Fitz crazy that she slept with the window open, even when it snowed, so far it had only done it once while they were together, but one morning Fitz woke up to find snow on the window sill and declared her insane. She rolled out of bed in search for Fitz, but deciding that naked wasn't the best way she grabbed his Navy sweatshirt and pulled it on with a pair of lacy boy shorts.

She wondered out from the bedroom and found him sitting on the couch on her iPad, he appeared to be worried about something, her stomach immediately turned.

"What happened?"

"Huh?" he looked up at her and immediately got distracted by what she was wearing, no longer interested in what he was looking at.

"What's wrong?" She had her hands on her hips, making her sweater ride up further, not realizing it.

"Nothing. Wait why?" He was completely distracted now.

"You left me, and you have your thinking face on."

"Oh the estate lawyer called and I didn't want to wake you up." He shrugged his shoulders at her, not realizing he wasn't making her less concerned.

"Oh god! My Dad he did something didn't he? Oh shit, okay we can deal with this! Huck will figure it out! I'll make him fix it Fitz I'm so sorry!" He got up and made his way over to her while she was still rambling. He put his hands on her shoulders in a attempt to get her to focus.

"Liv, stop, breathe, its fine. My lease on the car is up that's all. He was just calling to ask if I wanted to renew it or get something new. I was just looking at some of the new models." She finally let out the breath that she had been holding on to and relaxed a bit. Finally she looked up with a smirk,

"Does that mean you're getting rid of that frat boy thing you've got now?"

"I though you liked my car." He pouted at her. She patted him on the arm and gave him a patronizing look. Fitz pulled her into his arms and whispered into her neck,

"You're such a car snob!"

"I just have very specific tastes," she breathed on while his breath tickled her. Before Fitz had the chance to take back his sweater his phone started ringing again. They both groaned,

"Ignore it," Olivia whimpered in his ear. He almost did, but than he remembered her family must be back by now.

"No you should answer it." He pulled back a little and showed her the caller id. It was Claudia. He knew she would be excited to see her youngest cousin. They were the closest in age and were more like sisters than cousins.

"Ugh do I have to, its probably bad news…" he kissed her quickly,

"Answer the phone Livvy." She groaned one more time and put the phone to her ear.

"What?" He heard yelling on the other end of the phone and watched, as Olivia's eyes got big and excited. She ran over to the door and opened it, immediately after Claudia came storming in followed by a teenage girl that looked almost exactly like Olivia. Her skin was a bit darker and she didn't move the same, but with the same big brown eyes and smile, they could easily be confused for the same person. They ran into each other hugging so tightly it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. They were laughing and Claudia was standing next to Fitz both smiling as they watched them. Claudia looked up at Fitz,

"You think she knows she's not wearing pants?" Fitz's neck got red clearly embarrassed. "Because I'm not going to tell her." When they finally pulled apart, she walked over to Fitz to introduce them, Cammie seemed to pick up on what Claudia and Fitz were whispering about and she smirked.

"Fitz this is Camilla, Cammie for short, and Cam this is Fitz." All three were looking at her waiting for her to catch on with grins on their faces.

"Whats…" She closed her eyes and looked straight ahead, "someone please tell me I'm wearing pants." All three busted out laughing and told her,

"Nope," at the same time. She gave Cammie and Claudia dirty looks after her embarrassment faded, they'd both seen her in less anyway, and gave Fitz a hard punch in the arm, than stalked off to the bedroom to throw on some shorts.

When she came back in the room they were all talking about their excitement for tonight's concert. Claudia had never heard of any of the bands, but Olivia and Cammie were constantly telling each other about their new musical obsessions. Olivia heard Fitz say that MisterWives was his favorite of all the bands playing tonight while making fun of Claudia for being out of the musical loop.

"Oh whatever when I met Fitz his iPod was full of 90's Outkast and classic rock, I swear he had every Cure song ever made!" Olivia said as she made herself comfortable in his side on the couch.

"Says the girl that had never heard the Ramones!" She poked him in the side,

"I think I've been picked on enough today don't you?"

"No," Olivia heard all three replied and Olivia rolled her eyes. She nuzzled her face into Fitz chest ignoring them. They spent some more time just talking and enjoying the peace, Cammie caught them up on all her entrance exams for college and where she wanted to apply.

"Have you thought about Brown? Come hangout with Liv and I?" Fitz asked her, knowing how much they missed each other. Both Fitz and Olivia had been accepted into Brown's law school and intended to go in the fall. Olivia loved Providence and the environment at Brown, Fitz too loved the school and was happy to stay there for Olivia. He didn't tell her that she factored so largely in his choice, he didn't want to scare her or make her feel guilty.

"Im looking at RISD, but I'm not sure I could get into Brown." From what Olivia had told him about Cammie, he was sure it wasn't true, but he also knew that despite being the youngest Cammie was shy and quiet. "Probably because we never let her get a word in edgewise," Olivia had told him earlier.

"Cam you could get in anywhere you want! You just want to go to art school!" Claudia protested, she knew that Cammie was smart, she just spent more time painting and drawing than Olivia did reading.

"Leave her alone, it's a great school, and I would love to have her near by."

"Well the other schools I applied to for early acceptance are in New York so either way, I'll be a train ride away." Olivia was relieved she wouldn't have to convince Cammie that leaving Kansas would be best for her, thankfully that was already her plan. They spoke for a little while longer while they waited for Huck and Michael to make their way over.

Olivia wasn't really sure how to broach the subject of their mother helping them or at least claiming to want to or even how they would react to the idea. Maya had been distant with all three of her children, more so with Claudia and Michael than with Olivia, if that were even possible. Fitz could tell she was getting worried, she was less engaged in the conversation and he pulled her tighter to him and rubbed her arms. She made eye contact with him and gave him a weak smile. He knew that whatever her sibling's opinions were would color her choices in whether or not she should continue contact. She may not have even been aware of it, but she would follow their lead as she always had.

Without her having to say anything he knew she wanted her mother around, better late than never. She had already lost her Grandmother and her father has shown himself to not be the man she thought he was, she didn't want to give up on any family members, Olivia didn't give up on anyone.

Michael and Huck were knocking at the door and she immediately stiffened. Cammie noticed and gave her an odd look; neither Olivia nor Fitz was sure how much she knew. Claudia immediately hopped up to go get the door.

"Stop banging! I'm coming dammit!" Fitz and Cammie laughed and Olivia loosened up a bit. Whatever she told them, they would be on her side, they were her gladiators. It wouldn't make the words come easier, but it made her feel better. Olivia unwound herself from Fitz, not wanting to upset Michael or Huck, but kept his hand in hers. She needed his support.

Michael walked in without bothering to greet anyone.

"I'm hungry. Get dressed!" All three girls ignored him, but Fitz started to get up. Olivia pulled him back down as they laughed at him.

"He's starting to grow on me." Michael was used to the women in his family ignoring him so it was a nice change of pace to have someone actually do as he asked. The light moment evaporated quickly when Michael caught the worried look on Olivia's face.

"We need to talk about what happened when I went to talk to Dad. Maybe Fitz you and Cammie could go pick up dinner?" Olivia didn't really want him to leave, and he didn't want to leave her side but he knew that she didn't want to expose Cammie to what was going on.

"Liv, I uh… know what's going on. With Eli and Fitz, its not like it was when you left. I'm seventeen, even if they didn't want me to know I would find out, besides Fitz has a diminished range of motion in this left arm." It killed Olivia that at seventeen Cammie thought she was an adult, prepared for the trauma and anxiety that comes from that knowledge. She was further unnerved by the fact that she hadn't even noticed Fitz wasn't moving his arm the right way and in such a short time Cammie had. She looked between Michael and Huck as they nodded for her to just tell them what happened. Before she could even worry about it she turned to Fitz and pulled up his sleeve to get a look at his arm.

"I'm fine Livvy, its just sore, it'll loosen up." She searched for any hint of a lie in his eyes and didn't find any. Trying to be as gentle as possible she tried to pull up his sleeve again this time he let her. His stitches were still there, but the area around was a pinkish color, it wasn't red, hot, or leaking any fluid. For now he was okay but she made a mental note to keep a better eye on him.

"Liv, we know what you're going to say, Dad threatened Fitz."

"He actually didn't, it really isn't him that we need to talk about, I couldn't get much out of him, basically he yelled and said he was disappointed in me, so nothing I wasn't prepared for. Mom actually talked to us though. She uhm…" Olivia looked up at Fitz not really sure how to continue, "she wants to help us."

"No she doesn't Olivia, she's on his side, she told us all that last night. She wont help us she just wants information. You know she is just as selfish and insane as he is!" Claudia started out just talking, but quickly got heated, Olivia immediately nodded backed down defeated. She wouldn't go against her siblings. Michael didn't say a word. He sat and thought for a moment. Olivia was worried, Claudia and Michael were always of one mind, especially when it comes to their parents, she looked to Huck hoping maybe he would speak up. Looking between Huck and Cammie they both seemed determine to let their cousins figure it out without their input.

Their mother, Katherine, was Maya's younger sister, but she was incredibly different from her sister, losing their brother had made Kat hold on tighter to her children and her sister, where Maya pulled away. Olivia and her Aunt never really got along anyway, she had overheard her say "there isn't enough Pope in her" when she was about ten and always remembered it. Despite this she knew Huck and Cammie had a maternal figure and for them to try and understand their cousin's relationship with their own mother was foreign. It was something that they had silently agreed to try not talked about or tried to think about at a young age to avoid any resentment or jealousies.

Claudia was still ranting as Olivia made eye contact with Huck silently begging him to help, but before he got the chance Michael finally spoke up,

"Liv, do you trust her?"

"What?" Olivia was distracted; she hadn't realized he had spoken until Fitz gave her a slight nudge.

"Do you trust her?" he repeated patiently.

"No." Olivia looked down, somewhat ashamed to admit it in front of Fitz.

"Good, we can use her than, hopefully she is actually trying to help you, but just incase she isn't…" he trailed off not really wanting to upset Olivia any further. Claudia was already giving him a glare, her face getting redder. He looked to Huck who was stone faced, but seemed to agree with his plan, Olivia seemed relieved, he could deal with Claudia.

"What's the plan?" he asked Olivia knowing that he look of guilt meant there was more to tell, but she didn't want to upset Claudia.

"She wants to meet us here tomorrow, nine am." Claudia and Michael both answered her at the same time.

"Fine."

"No!" Olivia looked between them, unsure who to listen to, or which one would change their mind. She and Claudia rarely argued, they were too far apart in age to bicker when they were children and by time they had gotten older they realized they needed each other too much to fight. Her lower lip started to quiver and she felt her face getting red. How could she manage a relationship with both her mother and her sister, she couldn't, if she had to chose, it would be Claudia.

"I'll tell her she can't come. We don't want her help." Olivia told them her voice breaking. Fitz looked at her and his heart broke for her. He wanted to pull her into him, but with Huck and Michael in the room he was hesitant. Hesitant at least until he saw her face, she needed him. It didn't matter who was around. Pulling her into him, he kissed her forehead and held her against him. She was stiff not giving into him like she normally would, waiting for her sister's face to go back to normal. Claudia's face showed a flash of guilt, but was quickly replaced by anger when she caught the looks Michael, Huck and Fitz were all giving her for having upset Olivia.

Claudia was the only one in the family that didn't think that Olivia was the youngest, the baby, in need of protection, she saw Olivia for who she was, strong, independent, and capable. It didn't change the fact that she had clearly hurt her, and she was the baby and deserving of protection. Claudia took a breath and saw the pain on Olivia's face, it was a rare quality in their family to see the good in people, it seemed Olivia might be the only one that possessed it. Michael and Huck were both looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to cave she took a final look at Olivia. She looked like a little kid again.

Claudia was immediately brought back to the mother daughter tea that Olivia's kindergarten class. Olivia was five, she was thirteen, but when she realized their mother had no intention of going she skipped school and went to the tea in her place. Olivia was so excited to have someone there for her she didn't seem to notice that she was the only kid without her mother there. Claudia had detention the next day for skipping school, but she didn't dare tell anyone. Their Grandmother would have gotten her out of detention, but also would have gotten into a fight with Maya. Olivia hated when her Grandmother and Mother fought, when she was a kid she would curl up on Michael's lap and cry, as she got older it would just shut her down completely. It was clear, however that whatever ill memories came to the forefront of her own mind, weren't on Olivia's.

Truly Olivia did remember how deeply her mother's ambivalence had hurt her, but she also remembered a woman living a life she didn't want, married to a man that saw her as a ladder to power, mourning the death of her brother, her best friend, both her parents. She saw a woman that seemingly wanted to make up for her indifference, she wanted to give her that chance, but not at the expense of her family, her true family that had never left her, physically or emotionally.

"Fine, but she will hurt you again and again, because that's what she does. That's all she's ever done. Liv, but be sure, if this is what you want I'll be there, you know that." Olivia finally let tears fall, she nearly leaped out of Fitz's arms and into Claudia's. They clung to each other as everyone else watched.

"Over a cliff baby sister. Over a cliff."


	25. Chapter 25

Olivia was still wrapped securely in her sister's arms when she heard her brother's voice change from serious back to his normal jovial baritone,

"Kay so now that we've cleared up the family drama, can we party?" Everyone in the room laughed at his ability to immediately shift the mood. Olivia looked at Fitz, who was beaming, she new he was happy that she had her families support. She nodded and dethatched herself from Claudia.

"Come on Cam I got your outfit in the closet, CeeCee I grabbed something for you too, if you're interested."

All three girls got up and headed to get dressed, the boys sat waiting, knowing it would be a while. Huck excused himself to go back to the room, while Fitz and Michael sat in comfortable silence watching ESPN. Fitz wasn't a huge sports fan, but he knew enough to keep up and occasionally make a comment. Michael on the other hand was clearly enthralled; he showed the same excitement that Olivia got reading a book. It was the first time Fitz really saw a resemblance between the two; he was so amused he wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around him or how much time had passed. Sooner than he expected Olivia was calling him in to get changed out of his basketball shorts and into something a little more presentable.

When he walked into the bedroom he saw Cammie and Claudia, but Olivia was nowhere to be found. Fitz gave them both a questioning look,

"She wants to surprise you," Claudia explained. She had noticed over the last two days that anytime Olivia and Fitz were separated, she caught them both looking for the other.

"And she said make sure you don't wear white, she doesn't want you two to look like the bopsie twins," added Cammie with a smirk. She loved seeing the change in Olivia, with Fitz she has become a more relaxed version of herself, both Claudia and Cammie could see that she was less anxious and intense than she used to be.

Fitz nodded in understanding and chuckled,

"Got it." The girls were finishing putting on their shoes and final touches on their hair while Fitz grabbed his jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He saw that the girls were more dressed up, but he also knew that Olivia loved it when wore a t-shirt under his leather jacket so he figured if he put on a nice pair of shoes it would look good. By time he got out of the bathroom Claudia and Cammie weren't in the room anymore, but Olivia was sitting with her legs crossed on the bed waiting patiently for him with a seductive smile on her face.

His eyes trailed from the smile on her face down her body. She was wearing a simple white a line dress, but it was short. It stopped well above the middle of her thigh, had it been any shorter it would have been a shirt. It had beading on it so that it sparkled a bit when she moved, but not enough to be ostentatious. He noticed it came up a little higher than she normally would have worn something but when he got closer he noticed the back had two thin straps across the back and nothing else until her lower back where the back of the dress met the front. Her hair was in its naturally curly state and was hanging down her back and framing her face.

Olivia was small, only five four, but in that dress and those heels, her legs appeared to go on forever. They were toned and tanned from swimming, but it was especially clear when she was in those shoes. She was wearing black boots with a peep toe and a four-inch heel. He wanted to reach out grab her and lock the door, make sure no one interrupted them for the rest of the night, not giving up until she had screamed his name several times over. His jaw was open as he took her all in and her smirk got wider.

"You… Livvie, oh… wow! I mean you're always beautiful, but holy my God! How exactly did you think you would get me to leave this room looking like that?"  
She took him in while he was watching her. He was wearing her favorite pair of jeans, they're seven for all man kind, she had made fun of him for being so into clothes, but after seeing his ass in them she quickly regretted mocking him. With it he wore a plain black crew neck t-shirt that hugged his biceps and pectorals, but not in an obnoxious way. He had on black socks and had a pair of black Prada dress shoes in his hand, but when he saw her he dropped them on the ground.

"I was wondering the same thing," she looked him up and down, seriously reconsidering their plans. If her family wasn't right outside the door she would have jumped him right away. Especially after she spent the last half hour telling her sister and cousin how good he is in bed. After taking a deep, regretful breath she held out her hand to him, without hesitation he grabbed it.

"Oh wait!" he turned back towards the closet excitedly and pulled out his own leather jacket and the new one he bought for her. He held it one for her to put on, she hesitated.

"Bee I cannot wear that where we are going! By time the night is over it will have smoke, booze, and god knows what else spilled all over it!" He looked disappointed by accepted that she was probably right.

"Livvie you don't have a jacket here, its freezing outside." When she realized he was right she worried until she realized she could probably just borrow something from her sister, before she got the chance to tell him she felt his leather jacket wrap around her arms. It was still warm from being on him and it smelled like his cologne, she felt comforted immediately.

"What are you going to wear?" she asked as she pulled it tighter on herself. It was the same length as her dress and she had to pull up the sleeves to use her hands, but she loved it.

"Navy men don't get cold!" he informed her proudly. She laughed as he took her hand and walked her out the door to the rest of her family.

They walked into the living room to find Cammie sitting alone playing on her phone. She looked up when she heard them walk in. Olivia immediately asked where everyone went.

"Well after about five minutes of waiting Claudia said she was going to the bar before the moaning started, Michael yelled at her than they both went to get drinks, my brother hasn't taken his eyes off of his computer so I assume that's what he's still doing, and apparently I'm the designated driver so pre-gaming is out for me." She barely looked up from her phone as she spoke plainly but than Cammie noticed the dirty look Olivia was giving her, "Oh Olly don't give me that look, our family is literally in charge of most of the criminal activity in town and I seem to remember a fifteen year old you that passed out at church so…" Fitz's eyebrows shot to his hairline,

"I definitely need to hear the rest of that story!" he told Cammie excitedly.

"Havent we had enough wild child Olivia stories yet!?" Olivia groaned at the both of them, neither took her seriously and Cammie immediately broke into the story of the first time Olivia got drunk.

It was Christmas Eve and Grams had given her some champagne throughout the day, by time midnight mass rolled around her eyes were rolling in the back of her head and Michael had to carry her out of the church before services were even over. Everyone except Cammie and Grams just thought she was tired from such a long day. Olivia blushed at Fitz and Cammie shared a laugh at her expense, but laughed too at the memory of her Grandmother yelling at her the next morning for not knowing how to handle her booze and nearly getting them both in trouble. Most times her and her Grandmother were partners in crime, but after seeing her Granddaughter pass out in church she felt guilty at having let her drink so much and in typical Pope fashion took it out on the next available person.

"Okay now that you know one more of my embarrassing secrets can we go eat?" Cammie and Fitz both nodded following Olivia out the door and towards Huck's room, picking him up before heading off towards the bar. Cammie noticed Fitz never let go of Olivia, even when he didn't have one of her hands he was playing with her hair in the elevator or helping her with his hand on the small of her back, almost as if it were instinct. Olivia was always a very tactile person within the family often cuddling up into the nearest relative and immediately falling asleep, but outside of the family she tended to get uncomfortable at contact, usually preferring a handshake or a polite smile to a hug, but not with Fitz.

They waited as Michael and Claudia finished their drinks as they headed into Michael's Navigator.

"God this thing is massive!" Cammie complained, "how am I supposed to park it downtown?"

"One of us can park for you if you cant find a spot in one of the garages," Michael shut her down knowing that Cammie could whine for a while, she was very much the baby of the family, "now lets get to what's important! What are we going to eat?"

"I want a chocolate coke! And Fitz has never had one. We need to go to Winstead's!" If there was one thing Olivia missed about Kansas aside from her family it was Winstead's chocolate coke and fifty-fifty. There was so much good food on the East coast, but Winstead's was the one thing they don't have. Michael and Huck seemed fine with the plan.

"I am too old to go for fast food dressed like this Olivia, at least not sober. I vote we go for sushi now and get Winstead's on the way home."

"Yes to Winstead's after, no to sushi, CeeCee I live near the ocean now I can't eat raw fish in Kansas!" Both girls went back and fourth for a while as the Michael and Huck ignored them and Fitz watched with wonder. Ten minutes in Cammie interrupted telling them to give her a direction, in the end they let her chose and ended up at a new Mexican restaurant near where the concert would be.

They each had a margarita with their salsa and chips. Olivia loved having dinner with her family again, there was just something about sitting down together and eating, it must have been something that her Grandmother instilled in her without her noticing. Olivia was stealing jalapeños off of Fitz and Huck's plate, who were both sitting on either side of her, they both made noises of protest, but neither was truly bothered, both happy to see her relaxed. Cammie was trying and failing to explain to Michael and Claudia about the bands they would be seeing tonight, but both were equal parts confused and disinterested. Michael, like Fitz preferred classic rock, and Claudia listened to top forty music.

"No Mike! MisterWives and Megan Myers are two different performers!" she was getting irritated and Michael and Claudia both wanted to push her further, loving to tease her and Olivia.

"I thought Barcelona is who were going to see?" Claudia asked lamely.

"Ugh no they're playing too, all three of them are performing, but the Mowgli's are headlining!"

"And they are the ones you hate?" Michael asked throwing Olivia a wink as she rolled her eyes. Cammie didn't notice.

"No! They're my favorite! Oh my god they're so good their song San Francisco is like my anthem!" Claudia and Michael had finally given up and busted out laughing, Olivia, Fitz and Huck joined in, loving seeing her act like a teenager.


	26. Chapter 26

As the six of them made their way down the street to where the concert was going to be Olivia lagged behind to talk to Michael. For a little while they watched the others as they moved up ahead. Fitz was telling Cammie about Providence and Claudia was adding in the occasional comment, Huck was silent, but seemed invest in the conversation as well. Olivia was so relieved her family had accepted him, as well as seemed to like him, one less thing for her to worry about. She clasped onto her brothers arm and let her head fall against him as they walked. He smiled at her briefly before going back to the harsh mask he had taken up as a prop to work for their father.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome, just remember to keep the drinks coming tonight." He winked at her softly to cover for his indifferent tone.

"That's not what I'm thanking you for. I mean for everything, for coming for me, for helping me get away from Dad, for accepting Mom's help, and especially for being nice to Fitz." He pulled her closer.

"It's my job. I'm the big brother, I think you forget that sometimes and want to protect everyone, but I can handle it too. And as far as Fitz goes, he's hard to hate, which is infuriating, but with all this going on around you you're still smiling like that and I think he's the reason, than I can't hate him Lib."

"You know you were being really sweet until you pulled that Lib crap." Until she was about seven years old she couldn't get out Olivia, her V, it sounded more like a B and Michael never let her forget it.

"Yeah well harassing you is my job too." They got closer to the others and followed as they got into the line to get into the club. Olivia and Fitz gravitated towards each other unconsciously and she found herself sandwiched between Michael and Fitz. She was enjoying people watching and half listening to Huck, Michael, and Fitz discuss what type of car he should buy, he stomach immediately flopped and her blood ran cold for half a second.

Fitz was busy explaining his choice of a foreign car over American muscle, but Michael caught the change in her demeanor immediately. He followed where her eyes were locked and saw a smirking Stephan standing across the street with a few of his buddies. Olivia froze not really sure what to do or say, she was tempted to go across the street and tell him to back off and find someone else to harass, but the other part knew that Fitz had a temper he would be happy to take out on Stephan. Stephan didn't fight fair, if Fitz went over there it wouldn't just be between the two men, it would be between Fitz and Stephan and five of his friends, Olivia had seen it plenty over the years, Stephan had a big mouth, but lacked the balls necessary to back it up. For that he had his father's guys. Olivia made eye contact with her brother at the same time Fitz realized something was off.

"What do you guys say we head inside." Michael said to the group and everyone immediately knew something was wrong, he was asking, not telling. Fitz was still trying to figure out why Olivia suddenly looked pissed, so he didn't notice the silent conversation going on between Claudia, Michael, and Olivia. He did however notice that Claudia's face had gotten the same expression as Olivia's.

"He may not be here for you Liv, maybe it's a coincidence." Cammie had moved next to Olivia and was whispering in her ear.

"It's not. He sent me flowers early, he's here because of Fitz." Olivia barely breathed out, nervous at her proximity to Fitz and him overhearing. Before anyone had a chance to make a choice about what they should do or refute Olivia's concerns, Stephan was looking right at them and crossing the street with two of his guys behind him. Fitz finally noticed and immediately wrapped a possessive arm around Olivia and moved in front of her a bit. Huck mirrored his movements and was now standing in front of both Fitz and Olivia. Olivia saw Michael whispered something to Claudia, and she immediately pulled Cammie away and into the club, he was more worried about what Claudia would say or do than Cammie, but it was a good excuse regardless.

"Just let him come to us, hopefully he will say hello and leave it at that." Olivia snorted.

"Since when are you an optimist?"

"Since we are in the middle of a crowded street and he's not going to finish what you started here and now." He spat back at her, clearly still irritated at the way she had handled him the night before. Fitz knew better than to get between Olivia and any of her siblings, but he was surprised at Michael's tone, had anyone else spoken to her that way he would have done something about it. Olivia however just rolled her eyes ignoring his tone. Knowing that it would further piss off her brother she stayed quiet and set her shoulders readying herself for confrontation.

"Hey Liv, Michael, Huck, and your name slipped my mind… something pretentious if I recall."

Both Huck and Michael gave him a nod of recognition, while Fitz took his turn rolling his eyes, Stephan could talk shit about him all day long and it wouldn't get a rise out of him as long as he left Olivia out of it.

"You guys planning on going to the concert?" One of the guys behind Stephan asked, his voice was kind, deep, and familiar, it took Olivia a second, but she quickly remembered who it was and flung herself at him.

"Harrison!" She was so excited to see him she didn't notice the look of rage on both Stephan and Fitz's faces. Harrison had gone to school with Olivia, she had known him since she was five years old. They ran in the same crowds and often found themselves hanging out together at parties.

"Wait.. you…"

"I told him, figured you wouldn't mind." Huck informed her when she realized he didn't think she was dead.

"I can't believe you never called me!" She complained as she slapped him lightly on his chest. "Harrison this is my boyfriend Fitz, Fitz this is Harrison, we went to school together." Fitz gave him a terse nod as they shook hands; Harrison was unphased by Fitz's behavior. Ignoring Stephan completely she continued, "Give me your phone, we are getting lunch before Fitz and I go home." She quickly tapped in her number for him.

When she noticed Stephan was quickly getting more annoyed as was Fitz, she snuck her arm around Fitz's waist, hoping he would relax. There was nothing between Harrison and herself, not ever. They both had the unfortunate luck of being too different from those around them growing up and it had bonded them. Harrison was always a fast talking kid, he spent most of his skills trying to get girls from the time they were in junior high, which left Olivia spending a lot of her time cleaning up his messes. She really didn't mind he was a good friend and it was nice to have someone that wasn't involved in the mafia. Clearly something had changed if he was hanging around Stephan though and she wanted to know what it was.

The line to get into the club starting moving and they began to exchange goodbyes. Olivia let go of Fitz to give Harrison a quick hug goodbye, but immediately went back into his side not wanting to give him any reason to doubt her. Stephan gave her a cocky look and held out his arms,

"What no hug for me? And you didn't even thank me for the flowers." Ignoring his open arms she glanced at Fitz than back to Stephan,

"I hate flowers." As she was walking away with Huck and Michael following them she heard Stephan yell after her,

"Chocolate next time than." She was about to turn around and tell him off, but Fitz was pulling her forward.

"Ignore him Livvie." He kissed her forehead and she immediately calmed down. Michael flashed him a grateful look and Fitz gave him a small shrug. Claudia and Cammie made their way over to meet them as soon as they walked into the door, given that it was a Tuesday night it wasn't too crowded so they easily made their way over. Claudia noticed that no one looked too upset aside from Olivia who still looked pissed. When Olivia told them they ran into Harrison with Stephan Cammie's eyes lit up.

"Cammie don't even think about it!"

"He's not that bad Liv!"

"He's too old for you!" Fitz snorted at her and gave her an odd look. "Do not help her Fitz! He's a man whore, she doesn't need that in her life right now. I just want to know what he was doing with Stephan, he was supposed to be going to Ole Miss."

"Liv, his Dad died in a car accident a few weeks after Graduation, he couldn't leave, he started working for Stephan's Dad to help out his Mom and sisters. I thought you knew." Huck informed her gently. Her heart broke for him, Harrison wasn't close with his Dad, but still it must have hurt him, and his family for him to stay home. He was so excited to leave and go to school, he was constantly debating between law and business, he would have been great at both, but now he was stuck.

"No, I didn't know. Is he… uhm what does Stephan have him doing?"

"He's safe, well as safe as he can be, Stephan has him doing the books and accounting for some of his investments, we've kept an eye on him." Michael knew Harrison was Olivia's only friend outside of the family and was the only person that she wouldn't be able to see again when she left, or so they thought, so he made it a point to keep an eye on him for her. Olivia was quiet, trying to process what she had heard and hoped that he would call her, maybe there was something she could do for him. She resolved herself to the idea that she would get him out of the business some how, than made a point to let it go for now and enjoy her time out with her family, knowing it doesn't happen often.

By time she left her own head Claudia and Fitz had gone over to the bar to get everyone drinks, Cammie was standing next to her bopping to whatever house music the DJ was playing while they were setting up for the show, and Michael and Huck were looking longingly towards the door. She laughed and realized how old they had gotten while she was away. Michael was only thirty, but he seemed older, more mature, his time spent in clubs seemed to be over, and Huck was never into it, still she was determined to make sure they had a good time.

Fitz and Claudia came back holding several cups, filled with rum and coke, except for Olivia, Fitz handed Olivia her favorite drink, tequila, Chambord, and sprite, he thought it was a repulsive combination, but knew she loved it and had the bartender make it for her especially. Claudia too turned her nose up at the concoction that Olivia and Abby had invented accidentally freshman year, but after tasting it handed Michael her rum and coke and went back to the bar to order her own.

"She really should know better than to doubt you when it comes to liquor by now, remember the crystal light incident?" Michael asked her while taking a sip of her drink and agreeing that it wasn't as repulsive as it sounded.

"Crystal light packets and tequila? Yeah that's what she used to drink until she woke up in a toilet after Abby's twenty first birthday." Fitz said making a grossed out face.

"Seriously Liv?" Cammie asked shocked, Olivia always drank, but growing up Italian and in a house that didn't really care about laws had taught her how to not only have a high tolerance, but also not to go to extremes, always be in control.

Olivia just smirked, "Just wait until you go to college, besides Abby is a bad influence!"

"Technically I was talking about when Claudia wanted red wine and you stuck crystal light packets in white and she didn't know the difference and kept trying to find that type of wine again every where she went."

"You didn't tell her?" Fitz asked laughing deeply.

"No she would have kicked my ass!"

"Who's kicking your ass?" Claudia came back, a cup of purple liquor in her hand.

"Nobody on my watch." Fitz covered smoothly causing everyone to burst out laughing again.

Olivia was enjoying the company and sipping her drink when Cammie pulled her into the crush of people to dance with her. Holding her drink up high in one hand the other holding on to Cammie so she wouldn't lose her, she allowed herself to be swallowed by the mass. She moved with them allowing herself to forget about Harrison, Stephan, meeting her mother for breakfast, and the metaphorical lose of her father, for those few minutes where she could feel the beat in her chest she allowed herself to ignore it.

Claudia joined them dancing soon after, and Olivia saw out of the corner of her eye as Fitz, Huck and Michael made their way back over to the bar. Dancing her way across the floor she made her way over to him, Michael had managed to find a few girls to flirt with while Fitz looked on amused and awkwardly. By time she got over to them Fitz was playing on his phone and nursing a beer trying to ignore the small blond that had abandoned the group of Michael's admirers and made her way over to him. As soon as he looked up and saw her his face brightened with relief. Too used to girls trying to flirt with Fitz, Olivia wasn't really fazed by the girl, but she did miss him.

"Hey stud wanna dance with me?" He immediately nodded, took her hand following her to the dance floor leaving the girl stunned. They made their way back over to Claudia and Cammie who it seemed had assembled their own fan club, which dissipated somewhat when Fitz came over.

After a few more songs played by the DJ the first performer came on stage, Michael and Huck both stayed by the bar, Michael shamelessly flirting while Huck unintentionally played silent wingman. Olivia knew better than to interrupt Michael when he had found a harem. Claudia headed over to get them all refills leaving Cammie with a sour look on her face as she stuck her tongue out at her retreating back. Olivia and Fitz laughed as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned her head back into his chest and watched as the band walked onto the stage.

When she heard the first song, Desire by Meg Myers, start she was glad that Huck and Michael had decided to remain by the bar. She grabbed onto his hands and put them on her hips as she started moving to the beat. After only a few seconds of her dancing so close to him he pulled her closer to him and started moving with her. She could feel his breath on her neck and his hands wandering from her hips to her ass and back. Briefly she worried about people watching them, but he brought his mouth to her ear and she lost interest or knowledge of anything going on around them.

"You know if you plan on dancing like that all night we are going to have a problem." He pressed himself into her back. She shivered feeling his breath and briefly wondering again why she even wanted to come when she could have been in a locked room with him. She turned her head and saw him smirking, knowing that he had an effect on her. Immediately a challenge came into her eyes. She pressed herself into him and moved slow and torturously against him. When she heard him groan, she knew she had won their little game. When the song faded into another Olivia moved away from him a little bit and that space gave Fitz room to turn her around and face him. Without hesitation she threw her arms around his neck and started playing with his curls while they danced. His face went back to her neck and his lips immediately attacked the area under her jaw. She pulled away, but immediately latched her lips onto his. For the brief time their lips were connected both lost all thoughts of those around them, but they broke apart as soon as they heard,

"Somebody get those two a hose!" Neither could really place where it came from, but both were too busy enjoying each other to be too embarrassed. Olivia gave him a faux guilty look and turned around to once again face the stage. She had noticed that while they were busy with each other another band had taken the stage, it took her a minute to realize which band it was but she let out a squeal and looked around for Cammie and Claudia.

"Barcelona! I love them so hard!" She yelled at Fitz than headed off towards her family.

They were a few people away from her and Fitz when she pulled his hand and went towards them, immediately tripping over her own feet. Fitz caught her and set her back on her own feet,

"I'm fine!" She told him stubbornly.

"You're drunk Livvie." He replied sweetly. She tripped again on her way over and fell into Claudia.

"Liv, you're drunk." Claudia told her helping her again.

"So I've heard." She yelled over the music, shooting Fitz a look. "I'm wearing four inch heels, Id like to see either of you walk in them sober! I'm fine." All three looked down at her shoes and had to give her credit. None of them could have walked two feet in them sober let alone after all the tequila she had been drinking. Besides everyone knew that if Olivia got too drunk she would simply fall asleep on whoever was close by, usually Fitz or Abby.

Eventually Michael made his way onto the dance floor near them with a tall olive skinned woman who looked about Olivia's age. She was looking at him in almost a neutral way, which explained why Michael was pressing so hard, he wasn't used to being rejected. Both Claudia and Olivia could begrudgingly admit that their brother was good looking, tall with big brown puppy dogs eyes and a perfect smirk, coupled with the clear air of having money and always driving a new car or motorcycle and women clamored for him. Huck was still sitting by the bar nursing the same beer he had when they started and watching over them all like a hawk.

For the rest of the night they danced in the crush of people, each reminded of when Olivia was a teenager, before she left when they were able to be somewhat carefree and together. Cammie, Claudia and Olivia stayed on the dance floor until all the bands had finished and the music stopped. At some point Michael and his friend disappeared, and Fitz had been running between the dance floor and the bar getting them refills. As soon as Fitz walked away and left the girls alone they would be surrounded by guys, who quickly spread out again as soon as he came back glaring at them for even dancing near Olivia. In order to avoid getting too caught up in each other Olivia and Fitz didn't press each other, but periodically Olivia would feel Fitz's hands on her bareback and once again regret her choices.

Once they heard last call Michael mysteriously appeared once again. Together they made it back to the car, Olivia had ditched her shoes and opted to get a piggyback ride from Fitz instead. He happily obliged her, any reason to have her legs wrapped around him. Claudia walked behind them shielding the view of Olivia's ass in her short dress and laughing with Cammie who kept shooting Claudia and Olivia dirty looks every time they attracted too much attention.

As soon as they got into the car Olivia sprawled out in the back seat with her head in Fitz's lap and her legs draped over Claudia. Before they even made it onto the highway she was snoring softly as Fitz played with her hair. All of them were exhausted, so conversation was slim, they were close to the hotel when Claudia finally spoke up, eyes never leaving her sisters small sleeping frame.

"Just so you all know I'm not so drunk that I've forgotten what is happening tomorrow. I don't trust her, I know Liv does no matter what she says. Olivia wants to see the good in Mom especially since she thinks she lost Dad. There isn't any. When this hits the fan she won't come to me. She thinks I'll say I told you so, I probably would, but Fitz she will need you. Don't let her shutdown or run you off." Fitz was shocked by her declaration especially in light of how much she and Olivia had drank, but he looked at her and saw that she was clearly in pain,

"I need her too. I won't let her run me off, I won't let anyone run me off." She nodded but never took her eyes off Olivia. When Cammie parked the car they each got out tiredly. Slowly making their way to their rooms Michael barely spoke. He was too preoccupied thinking about how their morning would start tomorrow. Up ahead of him Fitz was holding Olivia who was still sound asleep as Claudia held the door open for them. Hearing her speak and seeing the way she was looking at Olivia made him question his choice. He had to find a reason to either trust their mother or get her to leave Olivia alone, either way he had to get Fitz to take her home and get her away from the trouble that would come from going against their father.


	27. Chapter 27

Olivia woke up the next morning again at seven thirty, despite being exhausted and having only gotten about four hours of sleep. She was perfectly content to snuggle back into the bed, but as soon as she started to move around Fitz started to stir.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled out, his voice still thick with sleep and his curls flattened on one side of his head. She snuggled back into his side and threw her leg of his.

"God we need to stop asking each other that," she groaned realizing how often they had said it lately, especially instead of good morning or something. It seemed like every conversation they had in the last few days had started with 'what happened?' or 'what's wrong?' and she was getting sick of it quickly, desperate to get back to their regular lives. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her,

"We should try and catch some more sleep, I have a feeling its going to be a long day." He was right, everyone would be on edge today. They weren't really on that family vacation that they had been playing at yesterday. This was business; they had to oust their own father. It wasn't going to be easy and it wouldn't end nicely. Every time Olivia thought about what was going to come she would get knots in her stomach. Unconsciously she pulled tighter into Fitz, she knew today would change a lot of things for her family. He heard her exhale loudly through her nose, a clear sign she wouldn't be relaxing anytime soon.

"TV or pool?" He asked her, hoping she would say TV, he wasn't as wired as she was all he wanted to do was hold her and try and sleep until the chaos found them. She threw her arm across him and held on.

"TV please." He handed her the remote and allowed her to flip around before she settled on the news, only she would put on the news to relax her thought. Her last thoughts were of the weather report before they both fell back to sleep.

The hotel's phone ringing not even an hour later woke up Olivia, who was curled in Fitz side, seconds later he too was awake. Both with irritated looks on their faces they stared at the phone. Fitz finally reached across her and grabbed the receiver,

"Hello?" Olivia wasn't really pay attention, she was drawling shapes on Fitz's bare chest completely enthralled by him he lifted them both up and bit and handed her the phone,

"They want to talk to you." Olivia grabbed the phone without hesitation figuring it was her mother asking where to meet them.

"There's a gentleman here asking about your room number, he claims to be your… uhm… boyfriend, he's… uhh very insistent that he give you his delivery himself, would you like us to tell him where to find you?" With wide eyes Olivia looked at Fitz's immediately knowing who was at the desk.

"Can I speak with him myself?" She said as pleasant as before, but her face had gone from soft and sleepy into gladiator mode once more.

"Great, thanks." Fitz was only hearing half of the conversation but was immediately put on edge. She watched as he got up pulled on some sweat pants and his t-shirt from last night, before sitting down on her side of the bed.

"You need to leave now." She heard Stephan on the other line chuckle.

"Oh baby I just wanted to drop off that chocolate I promised you last night, I even brought Harrison with me, you know you want to see him while you still can."

"You are out of your mind, 704 be here in five minutes." Olivia slammed down the phone and got up to throw on some clothes too. She found some leggings sitting on their bags and threw them on and kept on Fitz's Brown t-shirt.

"Stephan is on his way up, I need you to text Michael and Huck, tell them he is coming up, that I'll handle him, but they should be alert. You need to call the desk and have them get us a different room as soon as he leaves, tell them this one has plumbing problems." He was watching her race around the room, and followed her into the bathroom. She took the lid off the back part stuck her hand in and pulled on a few pieces of plastic until the toilet began running, he was about to leave when he heard a sound he hadn't heard since he was in the navy. He spun around glaring at the piece of black metal in his hand,

"Livvy? What the hell!" She breezed past him ignoring his questions, he grabbed her as gently as possible, but it still shook her out of whatever zone she was in.

"I know you hate guns Fitz, I do too, but in this world we need to be able to protect ourselves."

"Do you even know how to use that thing, at least let me have it."

She looked him dead in the eye released the safety, checked the magazine, saw that it was full, and cocked it so that there would be a bullet waiting in the chamber.

"I know how to use it."

"Olivia…" his words died in his mouth when their was a knock on the door. She handed him her phone,

"Michael and Huck, tell them." She walked passed him to get the door, intent on not letting Fitz out and not letting Stephan in. A thousand scenarios play through her mind as she walks away from Fitz. She yanks open the door, but stands in front of it blocking him as much as possible.

"What do you want?"

"Morning babe." He grins at her as she glares, not at all affected by the look she's giving me.

"What. Do. You. Want?"

"I brought you some chocolates." He holds the box out to her, but she ignores it.

"Where is Harrison?"

"Oh did I say he was with me? I meant I spoke to him this morning." He's still grinning and its unnerving her, but she doesn't let it show. She realizes something isn't right with him, he was always arrogant, but the way he's looking at her is new. His eyes are crazy, almost unhinged.

"Okay, you're leaving now." She tries to shut the door on him, but he holds it open.

"That's your trick isn't Liv, leaving. You left me here." He spits out at her and Fitz immediately comes out to stand next to Olivia when he hears the change in his tone. His appearance makes Stephan pause for a moment, but only a moment. She leaned into Fitz, hoping for some reassurance, but also hoping that if her body was between his and Stephan's that Fitz wouldn't try to hit him. He allowed it, but he was stiffer than usual, she knew it wasn't from Stephan, it was the gun that now was hidden behind her back. Knowing she had to stay attentive she tried to ignore the solid mass that was behind her and focus on getting him to leave.

"Stephan I would have never been with you even if I hadn't left town. We are over, you need to leave me alone." She tried to close the door, but again he pried it open. He was in her face and Olivia was trying to hold Fitz back,

"You did this to me. I could have left with you, we could have been together and I wouldn't be like this! I wouldn't have to do these things!" When Huck heard Stephan begin yelling he immediately came out and pulled Stephan away from her as Fitz was grabbing at him. Olivia was grateful of his timing, but she was still concerned about what he had said. Her and Stephan were never very serious, at least not to her. He was originally a good way to piss off her father, but when she realized it wouldn't work he was comfortable and fun. She had never known him the way she knew Fitz or vice versa, so she didn't think much of it leaving him.

"You're a grownup Stephan don't blame me for the way your life is going, I made my choices and you made yours." She couldn't look at him anymore, she wanted to feel bad for him, she did, but he had become something she didn't recognize and didn't know what to do except to keep Fitz away from him. She closed the door to the room and left Stephan with Huck pulling Fitz with her.

His eyes were full of rage, she knew if she let him go he would immediately go outside that door and beat Stephan until he couldn't stand anymore.

"Fitz?" She was trying to get him to make eye contact without any success.

"Look at me." Nothing.

"LOOK. AT. ME." He finally looked at her, some of the rage receding being replaced by something she wasn't quite sure she recognized. It finally hit her, the look she had been waiting for ever since she told him who she really was. He was looking at her like she was a stranger.

"I'm so sorry Fitz, please…" he cut her off.

"What are you sorry for?" His voice was stone and it cut her.

"For having to see that and deal with him, I swear I don't know what got into him, he didn't used to be like that. It's our fathers! They do this to everyone. Men like them destroy everything they touch." He turned away from her, no longer interested in her explanation. He couldn't even look at her, she didn't get it.

"That's not… what? The gun, you're mad I have a gun to protect us with? I know that since your mom… I know you hate them, I do too. I never wanted to look at another one after I left, but that's not realistic. Had I been smart. Doing what I knew I could have protected you. I should have been paying attention. I would have been. But you… I love you so I wasn't listening to my gut that morning. I was happy and distracted and it almost got you killed!" She took a breath to try and calm down, she didn't want to fight with him here, especially not with Huck and Michael outside doing god knows what to Stephan. "Fitz please you have to understand that I didn't want to hurt you or bring up bad memories, trust me I know. Holding a gun, it makes me sick, I hate it. My father handed me one when I was fourteen and didn't think twice about teaching me to use it. How to kill with it. I don't want to have it in my apartment or in this room, I don't want to know how to use it or know that I have perfect aim using it. But I do that's my life. That's what this life means. That's also why I left."

Fitz looked at her shocked by her confession. He thought he knew everything about her, but watching her pick up a gun and use it so confidently had shocked him. He felt he no longer knew her, the woman in front of him was a stranger, but she was a stranger he loved and wanted to protect. He couldn't protect her if she kept throwing herself in the way.

"You still don't get it Olivia, when you picked up that gun, you became someone else, someone so full of secrets that I no longer knew you. I know that you want to protect me and everyone else, but its time for us to protect each other. I cant lose you anymore than you're willing to lose me. I wait for you, I watch for you, my whole life is you, my every mood is controlled by the look on your face, but today you went cold. I didn't think I would ever feel that from you. You know everything about me, but you're this ball of secrets."

"I knew it would come back to this. What was I supposed to do, should I have told you on our first date, hey guess what my father may actually be satan, he gave teenagers guns and taught them how to be criminals. Or maybe I should have told you when we first met, would that have been okay? Maybe when you told me you were in love with me? Because I wasn't scared of that enough! Would you have handled that well? No! You would have run in the other direction."

The fact that she could think that he would ever run from her hurt him more than she realized.

"I would never, will never run from you!" He scoffed at her.

She was pacing now, scared to lose him, but her anger was taking over that part of her brain. She didn't even know what they were fighting about anymore. Was it because she had a gun? Not likely, he wasn't stupid or naive. Was it because Stephan came? No, he's not that juvenile. Was it because she didn't tell him who she was from the start? Maybe a little bit, but he loved her, he had forgiven her almost immediately, what were they fighting about.

"I don't even know why you are mad at me! I just want to protect you from this! You have no right to be angry at me for that! When I met you I was done. I thought I would never come home I would never have to do this or expose anyone in my life to this. I would never have…" he cut her off.

"Never what, fallen in love with me, let me in? Really Liv, you're belitting us now. I wouldn't have run from you no matter when you told me. I think you forget how we met. You were literally beating someone, I knew I wasn't getting involved with someone normal, and I didn't care. I saw you and immediately wanted to protect you. I didn't even know what that scum bag had done to Abby. I just knew he had hurt you some how. I didn't know your name, but I wanted to save you from him, it only took me a few seconds to realize you don't need saving," he laughed at the memory a little. It really was the worst way to meet the person you love. He had seen her at her worst from day one and he jumped in anyway. "Liv I know you can protect yourself, you don't need a hero. I get that, but I think you think Im some damsel in distress that needs saving from this big bad world you come from. I don't and I wont let you throw yourself in front of any bullets from me."

"You mean like you did?"

"That was different!"

"Because it was you saving me? Don't be a hypocrite Fitz, it doesn't look good on you."

"Because it was instinct! I couldn't have stopped myself if I tried! I saw a gun and pushed you out of the way, it was immediate. Like breathing. But you sat in this hotel room and made a plan. Without me. You just handled me. That's not how this works, not when I'm sitting here telling you we are in this together."

It hit her finally and she realized that he was hurt she didn't tell him who she was, but he had gotten over it, but her planning and strategizing without him had hurt him again, and scared him. She immediately cut the tone she had been using and was almost back at her normal voice, not yet the voice she only reserved for him, but better.

"Fitz, I'm sorry I've been alone in this for so long now, it's just what seems natural to me. I don't mean you edge you out of anything."

"You have to trust me enough to let me help you, even if we both know you don't need it."

"I trust you. It's not about trust. I just, I want you to see me, not some job or something you have to take care of. I love Michael and Huck, but to them I am a responsibility, even to Claudia to some extent. I never want to be that to you."

"You're the person I love Livvy, you will always be that to me, no matter what." He told her firmly moving closer to her in an attempt to get her to stop pacing.

"So I'm still me?" She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer after the look her gave her earlier.

"You're still you." He told her in a way that made she sure wouldn't doubt it for a while. She just nodded at him, not really sure what to do now, they hadn't fought like that before. They had bickered, usually about stupid things like books or politics, things had never really gotten that heated before. The only time they got close was when they realized that he would be the TA to one of her classes, but even that had resolved quickly, she had told him they needed a break and he needed to be realistic about it for the semester and he told her he loved her and that they wouldn't be slowing down or taking a break, she immediately ran to his arms and agreed.

She wanted to run into his arms again and hold him until everything was really forgiven, but she was worried about what was going on outside the door. Just because for a few seconds her world had imploded didn't mean everything else hadn't kept on going. Stephan was out there willing to threaten Harrison, her mother was due at the hotel any minute, and she had no idea how long it was going to take to get things handled with her father. She was about to ask him to sit with her for a minute before they went outside, just one minute, but they heard Claudia outside the door calling for them.

"Stop fighting! Our mother is here!" Olivia and Fitz both exchanged a look, slightly embarrassed that they had been that loud, but still amused by Claudia. He held out his hand for her and she grabbed it without hesitation. They walked out together, a team again.


	28. Chapter 28

Olivia could tell that Fitz was still shaken up when Claudia came knocking at the door. They both weren't used to that kind of fight and it seemed to her that he was as scared as she was. Neither could tolerate losing the other. She was the first to break eye contact as she walked over to the door to let Claudia in.

"Good morning to you too CeeCee," Olivia said dryly as she barged into the room. Fitz nodded at her and gave her a thin guilty smile. He was a little worried about having yelled at Olivia that way, especially in front of her family.

"Yeah yeah yeah morning. So Mom will be here soon and you're not dressed. So I'm calling half time. Fitz would you mind going down stairs and meeting Huck and Michael incase Mom gets here before we get down there?" Happy to have an excuse to leave and that he wasn't going to get yelled at or punched by Claudia he left the room to gather his phone and wallet.

"You don't have to separate us like we are children Claudia, were not fighting anymore anyways. And I thought you said Mom was here already?" Olivia rapidly informed Claudia.

"Liv, don't be petulant, just go get dressed." Claudia sat down on the couch to get comfortable while Olivia got changed, Olivia gave her a final glare, but she remained unfazed. Fitz was leaving and bent a bit to kiss her before he left, but she dodged him and pulled him into the room.

"Are we…?" she broke off before she could finish. He walked over to her and pulled her into him so she could tuck her head under his chin. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held tight.

"We are good Livvy, I love you." He released her a bit to let her go and get changed, but she squeezed him tighter.

'Than why are you leaving?" She peered up at him from her spot nestled into his chest.

"Claudia told me to." He told her a bit sheepishly. Olivia busted out laughing and the sound was music to his ears, and Claudia who was listening intently from outside the door.

When she heard the struggle in the hall she sent Cammie to take a shower, knowing it would take her a while and keep her busy. He stomach dropped when she saw the state that Stephan was in and her blood ran cold when she heard Olivia and Fitz yelling at each other. She was especially disturbed by the tone of her sister's voice. She had noticed the last few days that Olivia used to different tone when talking to Fitz, it was nicer or more relaxed or something, it was indefinable. Most people probably wouldn't even noticed much of a switch, but Claudia had been hovering over Olivia all her life. She could read her younger sister like a book. She wouldn't let Olivia's controlling rash behavior lead to her losing Fitz. She knew Olivia would never recover if she did.

"I don't want to go, but it'll be motivation to get changed faster. You can't leave me alone with the guys, who knows what trouble we could get into." Olivia snorted, there would be very little trouble that they could get into especially with Huck there. Fitz really didn't want to leave her side after fighting and holding her so comfortably, but he was curious about what was going on with Stephan, the thought that Michael and Huck might have killed him briefly passed his mind, but his pushed the thought away refusing to believe that Olivia would allow that to happen, no matter what the provocation.

"In that case I'll hurry!" she told him playfully as she pulled away from him and headed straight to her suitcase to find something more appropriate than the borrowed clothes from Fitz she preferred to lounge around in. He snuck in one more kiss before heading out the door, still nervous about facing Claudia alone.

"Are they in the lobby?" he asked her cautiously pocketing his phone and wallet.

"Yeah, can you get Cammie first though before you go down? I want to talk to Liv, and I don't want her here for it."

"Look I know you're probably not happy with me right now and I'm not proud of the way I spoke to her. I don't really have an excuse, I just lost it when I saw her step between Stephan and I, and I knew she had that damn gun. She does that kind of thing more than she realizes, I just, I love her so I got scared. I apologized to her, but I want you to know too."

"Are you done?"

He nodded.

"I'm glad you said what you did. Someone had to, frankly I think you let her off easy. She runs away like a bat out of hell trying to handle everything and everyone. I don't know why or how to stop it, but if anyone can its you. She loves you more than she has loved anything or anyone Fitz, you make her better because you challenge her, don't ever stop that. And she may not need a hero, but that's no reason not to try and be one for her."

He was shocked by what Claudia had just told him, he expected, threats or gladiator faces, or both. Not for her to say Olivia got off easy. He didn't really know what to say. He stood there speechless, it wasn't exactly the first time Claudia had rendered anyone speechless with her candor so she continues unabashed,

"Now I want to talk to Olivia without the great protector and I need someone to make sure Cammie isn't playing angry birds instead of getting ready."

"I'm on it." He told her simply as he walked out of the room feeling lighter. He was still upset with himself for their fight, but he could see bits of his Livvy coming back so he would fight to pull her out the rest of the way.

"Fitz! Wait grab a coat!" She told him immediately jumping into her mothering role as if he was part of the family.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Its snowing. And my mother may not notice or care about much but for some ungodly reason if any of us don't wear a coat she throws an unholy fit."

"It was almost seventy yesterday!?" He said astounded, not really put off by her telling him to wear a coat, but the fact that the weather changed so quickly.

"Yeah. Well, welcome to Kansas, where if the mafia doesn't kill you the weather will." Laughing he shrugged on the coat that he gave to Olivia last night and finally made his way out the door.

Claudia was waiting patiently on the couch for Olivia as she got dressed. She wasn't really sure what to wear to this little meeting. Not wanting to look like a child, but obviously it wasn't really time for a pant suit, she was torn. Peaking out to see what Claudia was wearing, she decided to just go with her jeans, converse shoes, but one of the nicer sweaters she bought yesterday. Claudia was wearing something similar, but with nicer shoes. Normally she ran around in heels too, but she just couldn't summon the energy, she hadn't been up for an hour but she was emotionally exhausted. As a last minute addition she put on the jacket that Fitz bought her knowing it would make him happy.

As soon as she walked out the door to the living room she saw Claudia there and immediately knew she was in trouble.

"Look I already got it from Fitz this morning and I'm not in the mood." She looked at her sister and told her exhaustedly.

"Okay well now you are going to get it from me because with Mom coming you need to hear it more than ever."

"Fine, go." Olivia said dejectedly and slouched into the chair across from Claudia.

Claudia rolled her eyes, unfazed by anything Olivia would or could pull.

"Look I know you think you need to handle all of us, but you cant put yourself in danger just so you don't feel like our parents. You have all their best traits, but that's a good thing, its perfectly okay. What's not okay and what we won't allow is for you to try and handle things yourself in some vain attempt to stop everyone from else from getting involved. We get involved because we love you, not because we feel obligated. And believe it or not we can handle this just as well as you Liv. So my point, aside from reinforcing what Fitz said, do not think that we will let you go off on your own and get yourself killed, because the rest of us will be right next to you to follow you right over a cliff."  
Olivia softened when Claudia was finished, she hadn't even realized that she did it, it was just in her nature. She knew Fitz would be by her side and if she got herself into trouble he would be right next to her, which was very nearly reason enough to extricate herself from her families drama, but knowing that her family would too was enough to make her really stop and think before she acted alone.

"I'm trying CeeCee. I'm going to try." Olivia told her and she meant it.

"Good. Now get me coffee." Claudia got up and looped her arm through Olivia's as she pulled her out of the room. They both took a deep breath and prepared to go down and meet the rest of the family.

When they entered the lobby they immediately heard Michael's booming voice and expected trouble, but when they turned the corner they saw Fitz head thrown back in laughter and Cammie glaring at them both. Huck wasn't there; they figured he was busy upstairs working on the computer. Claudia sat down pretty rigidly, or as rigid as she gets, next to Michael and Olivia squished herself between Fitz and Cammie on a sofa that most definitely wasn't big enough for the three of them. She snuggled in and wouldn't let anyone get up. Just as she had gotten comfortable on the couch she saw her mother come into the hotel. All three of them immediately sat up more formally, still squished in but not piled on top of each other anymore.

"Morning." Their mother said blandly as soon as she got close. Olivia was the only one of her children, she replied,

"Morning Mom," But didn't add anything else.

"Its good to see you guys since you haven't been home." Maya addressed her oldest children and Claudia immediately jumped to reply,

"I'm surprised you noticed." Maya's eyes flashed to Olivia and decided not to engage. Instead she addressed Michael again,

"I am sure you don't want to divulge too many of your plans to me, but I'm willing to help. I thought maybe we could have breakfast and discuss some things."

"Like what?" Claudia responded again.

"Like making sure that Olivia graduates college in one piece. Honestly I'm curious about what her plans are after that seeing as how tight lipped she has been about it." She watched at all the children exchanged a look. She had been watching them have silent conversations for years now so she waited for them to finish.

"Yeah, that's fine. I have a few questions for you anyway. We can't stay here though." She nodded not really knowing why, but willing to go with the flow for now. Olivia and Claudia were both surprised that Maya didn't seem to have a problem taking orders from Michael. As Michael and Maya stood up, everyone else followed him out. Fitz grabbed her hand and she gave him a smile at the same time she asked for Huck.

"He's got business to take care of." He didn't say it sharply just enough so that she knew not to ask in present company. "You two are riding with me." He told Fitz and Olivia, and let Cammie and Claudia take Claudia's car, Maya was riding alone. Olivia was once again surprised, there was plenty of room in Michael's navigator for all of them. She let it go and got into the passenger seat as Fitz opened the door for her and climbed in the seat behind him. All three were silent until they got on to the road and Olivia finally spoke.

"Okay what's the deal Michael, even with Stephan around I'm safer in the hotel so why are we driving twenty minutes for scrabbled eggs?"

"We needed to talk, not in front of Mom. Huck and I were talking and we think it would be best if Fitz took you back to Providence tonight. Can you make that work?" He made eye contact with Fitz in the rearview mirror.

"I had a pilot fly it back to Providence, but I can get us a flight." He pulled out his cell phone and immediately started book them a flight home. "Livvy do you want me to get a car or do you want to ask Abby?"

"Wait a second, you can't just ship me off without giving me any information. And no I don't want to involve Abby at all, just incase."

"Is that you saying you'll leave?" He laughed at her. He knew she would do what he asked, Claudia and Fitz may have had a hard time getting her to do as they asked, but that wasn't a problem for him. Something about the big brother/little sister relationship meant that she always deferred to him even when she didn't want to.

"If you'll tell me what I need to know than yes. We need to get home anyway. I've got a paper to write and the TA in that class is a real hard ass." She told him motioning towards Fitz. He gave her a faux dirty look and went back to trying to find them a flight.

"Things are getting bad Livvy. Dad and Stephan's father are escalating things quickly. They're trying to get the Russians to stop exporting from their territory. They called a hit out on one of their men and made Stephan do it. That was the day you got here. He hasn't been doing well, that's why he's been so out of control. He wants out. He and Huck are working on getting him fakes and getting him out of town. Harrison is leaving to go with him. We're going to help them both Liv so don't worry. We want to get you home before the Russians figure out what they are up to. Claudia thinks that we can work it so that if Stephan leaves town his father will be pissed and distracted and Dad will lose an ally. Hopefully Mom has some guys that we can use to make it seem like the Russians are getting Dad's territory and some of his higher ups will either drop him or turn to us. Obviously there's more wheeling and dealing that will have to go on, but that's the plan."

"So what do we do?" Olivia was so distracted by the idea that Stephan's father had actually made him kill someone that she didn't hear much of the rest of the plan.

"You and Fitz go home, go to class, take your midterms and finals and decide where you want to go for Christmas this year. That's it Liv. I don't want you involved in this."

"You'll keep me in the loop?"

"You think I could stop you?"

"I can't wait to get home." She would miss her family, but Providence had really become home to her. She had Fitz and Abby and had made friends and a life there, she was grateful for the time spent with her family but just the idea of crawling into her bed and curling up with a book and Fitz was making her eyes close and her muscles relax.


End file.
